Nightmares
by mysticfalls-originals
Summary: Bonkai ;; Bonnie suffers from nightmares and the guy behind them, might be the only one that can change them.
1. Chapter 1

_Hallways; It seems like that's all there is in this house, long corridors leading to more corridors and a door in every place you look. I turn down the up-teenth hall and pause, an acute awareness that something is not right. Why am I wandering around the house? Am I looking for someone – is someone looking for me? I glance behind me as I pick up my pace and shake off the wariness, my mind kicking into overdrive. One by one I open each door, kicking in the one's that are locked to see if there's anyone on the other side. Just as I'm ready to kick in the last door I see a light go out where I was first standing – encasing that small portion of the room in utter darkness. I felt my breathing start to quicken, goosebumps breaking out across my arms as the next light went out, then the next. I break into a full sprint to the end of the hall rearing around the corner that leads to the staircase when I came face to face with another hall. I look down towards the end and it seems like it's getting farther and farther away. I glance back over my shoulder and realize there are only a couple of lights lit with the darkness approaching fast. I get one last look before I take off when fear closes my throat and locks me in place, from within the shadows someone is staring back at me._

Bonnie wakes up with a gasp, shooting straight up from bed. Sweat trickles down her temple as she tries to calm down her ragged breathing and rapid heartbeat.

She glances over at the clock – an act no one should really ever do – and groans in contempt. 4:15am flashes back at her which, if her calculations are correct, means she got four hours of sleep, one hour more than last night. Ever since Damon got sent back to present day over a week ago, Bonnie hasn't had one decent night's sleep. She drags herself out of bed and into the living room, collapsing onto the couch surrounded by a blanket. When she isn't pulling an all-nighter with movie marathons or late night sitcoms, she's struggling to pull herself out of intense nightmares about where else but the house she is imprisoned in. It was the same dream that haunted her every night; endless hallways, an array of bedroom doors, and the shadow. Each time she gets a little farther into the dream, her curiosity and survival instincts kick in and the farther she gets the more dangerous it becomes.

"Rough night, huh Bon?" Kai asks as he plops down on the couch next to her.

Caught up in her own thoughts she didn't even hear him walk into the room. "Go away Kai. Shouldn't you be asleep right now?"

"Shouldn't _you_ be sleeping right now?" he retorted, a smirk creeping up onto his face. "You know, in some cultures, when it's so early that it's still dark out, people have been known to stay unconscious until the sun comes out."

"Oh a comedian," she said through a roll of her eyes. "Where would I be without this to get my day going?"

She watched as a huge smile broke across his face. " _Sarcasm?_ You mean to tell me there's actually humor locked up inside that comatose looking exterior? Maybe this lack of sleep has its perks; sarcasm, some witty banter, maybe even letting me in on what's keeping you up at night?"

She shrugged, closing her eyes and resting her head back against the couch.

"I might be able to help, you know," he pressed on. "Keep the Boogeyman at bay."

"Aren't you what nightmares are made of?"

His devilish smile more than answered her question. "Then I'd say I'm qualified for the job."

She pushed the blanket off her as she rose to her feet. "Tempting, but seeing how no matter what I seem to do I end up trapped in this house with a monster, I'll take my chances.

Kai caught her by the hand as she tried to surpass him with a glimmer in his eye. "Ever stop to think that you're afraid of the wrong thing?"

Kai's words rang in her ears for the rest of the morning.


	2. Chapter 2

By the time dinner rolled around Bonnie was not in the mood to eat, much less listen to Kai's incessant chatter so it is inevitably where she found herself. She glanced over at him as he continued whatever thought popped into his head as he waved his fork around and looked down at her own plate, annoyed to admit how delicious he could make a meal look.

"Oh come on, I know chicken parm's one of your favorites. You need the energy." He pointed at the chicken, "protein" the pasta, "carbs" and her stomach, "mmm."

She gave him a bored look as she twirled the spaghetti around her fork.

"I'm serious," he said as he leaned on the table. "If you croak out on me right before we find a way back then you're really gonna be kicking yourself. You aren't sleeping, not too keen on the human interaction thing we talked about and I haven't seen you eat much. Unfortunately for you, you have to hit the trifecta to be able to get past your nightmare problem."

"And you think all will be well if I talk to you, stuff my face, and pass out?"

An amused smirk hit his face, "Couldn't hurt."

"I'll take my chances."

"How about a little ' _I'll show you mine if you show me yours?'_ I'll let you in on a secret and I'll even make it about the same topic. Sound fair?"

He took her shrug as a confirmation.

"I know it's hard to believe with this confident and chiseled exterior but I too used to have nightmares. Vivid ones, every night, for months when I turned 13; I figured it was brought on by the twin merge and becoming a teenager but Josette never had a single one."

"What did you dream about?"

"Eat your dinner and I'll tell you," he smiled.

She shook her head and stared at him as she deliberately took an enormous bite of chicken and raised her eyebrows.

He laughed as he continued. "I, also like you, was pretty wound up over my living situation and not fond of the people that surrounded me. I spent most of my time with Jo growing up; she was the least bothersome person I knew. I think knowing that one of us would inevitably kill the other started to fester somewhere in the back of my mind. I would get these crazy dreams of being at the merge ceremony and chaos breaking out; either both of us would refuse and the world would start to crumble or she would kill me and I would feel every painful second. The ways she came up with to off me though, I'll give dream Jo credit, she had no mercy."

"I find that hard to believe," she retorted, still fully emerged in her chicken parmesan. "All of those sociopathic thoughts and you weren't dancing up there during a murder spree?"

"Nope," he laughed. "Which is really the irony of it all, seeing where my life has gone since then, and that was the key to the whole problem."

She cocked her head in response.

"Killing Jo," he went on. "Obviously my subconscious was telling me all along to end her before her and the Coven ended me.

"You went through those dreams – for months – without ever killing her before she got you?"

His mouth was set in a firm line.

"Why?" she asked dumbfounded. "I mean, have you met you? Killing things is kind of your hobby and you've been talking about wanting power since I first heard you open your mouth. Why not do it and be done with it?"

"Maybe I wanted a different outcome," he shrugged. "I guess I kind of have a soft spot for her, tried to see if there could be another way. But what do ya' know, fantasy mirroring reality, the key to breaking out of both Hell dimensions was to do what I tried to avoid my entire life. Funny, isn't it? The dreams wouldn't stop until I gave into the darkness."

"And how is that supposed to help me?"

"Simple, take charge, give into the darkness…"

"Are you serious?"

"Of course! I don't make these things up. Well – maybe, but it really does work. Find that darkness in your dream, the core of your fear and face it head on. Who knows, maybe you won't wake up screaming."

"Mm. Sounds too good to be true, thank God it isn't something difficult."

His smile seemed genuine as he picked up her almost empty plate and brought them both to the sink. "You couldn't handle it if it was." He put the empty plates in the sink and kept his back towards her. "So, I know it's been a fantasy of yours to seduce me and get me into your bed –"

"Of mine?!" she interrupted.

"Okay _ours_ ," he continued without skipping a beat as he turned around to face her. "Anyway, I was just going to say that even if you're too exhausted to experience _this,_ " he gestured to his body, "I am still an excellent cuddle buddy."

She didn't think she had the energy in her to be able to laugh, yet here she was, holding her sides to ease the pain while she tried to catch her breath.

Kai watched her, legs and arms crossed as he leaned back against the counter, a large smile on his face.

"Well there's a reaction," he laughed. "Glad to see you still have that in you. But don't knock it 'til you try it! I had a few choice people that would back me up on this; I'm tall, can wrap you up into a burrito, keep you safe –"

"Safe…"

"From nightmares," he whispered, winking at her.

"That sounds like a fate worse than death. Or could be my actual death, both seem pretty likely."

"Why don't you sleep on it and get back to me?" he smirked.


	3. Chapter 3

_If there was a place revolved solely on hallways and doors, I have found its Utopia. I aimlessly wander this prison home of mine; taking in the same artwork and same interior and wonder if it will ever end. I turn my head to the right to see the next set of pictures and notice the hallway has stretched out to an impossible length. Tension starts to prickle in the back of my neck as I turn to check the other end of the hallway which is clear and sprint in that direction. I round the corner and see I'm hit with another hallway and start kicking open the doors – for what, an exit? – As I make my way down. I'm halfway through opening them when I hear a bulb go out behind me, and then another. I glance behind me and see the darkness approaching me fast, my throat closing in anticipation. I look at the destination at the end of the hallway, Damon's room, and knowing there would not be enough time to get there, hurl myself into the closest open door. Before my eyes can adjust I find myself downstairs, the main door within distance and the shadows nowhere in sight. I run for the door, swing it open and come face to face with what nightmares are made of; Malachai Parker. His stance reads tense as his intense glare blazes me from head to toe, keeping me locked in place as my eyes shift to the ascendant in one hand, and a knife in the other. The most chilling part of the scene playing out in front of me is not the man himself, but the thickness of black smoke that's surrounding him. Engulfing him would be a better description, as it's slowly making its way around him and up his legs. He cocks his head to the side, a come hither look playing at the corner of his mouth as he puts his hand with the knife behind his back and gives me a nod over his shoulder signaling "follow me". I watch him step farther back into the darkness slowly disappearing from view and my adrenaline starts to kick in; should I go? Will he kill me? Will I kill him to stop him from going? My moral and selfish obligations were clashing so hard I could feel my vision blurring and in the blink of an eye, he was gone. I looked into the vast emptiness, took a deep breath, and ran as fast I could… straight into the opening of the cave. The dark and dreary night was my first clue that something was terribly off, the magic sizzle that surrounds this Hell vortex not feeling quite so snug. I made my way into the cave looking for Kai, or the ascendant, even the knife would give me some satisfaction but all I found was a lone stack of CD's left on the ground illuminated by the moon's light. Reality hit me so hard it knocked me off my feet; Kai left me, and I was truly alone._

Bonnie woke up to the sound of her own voice screaming Kai's name. She heaved herself out of bed and hit the floor running, frantically opening doors trying to find him. She rounded the corner and hit the next hallway, adrenaline in full swing causing her to kick open the doors. An overwhelming sense of de ja vu and flashes of her dreams hit her in waves as she turned into the next hallway and saw Damon's door at the end. She swung open the door so hard it nearly broke off its hinges, causing Kai to roll over and fall out of bed from a deep sleep.

"Holy shit!" he coughed, still sitting on the floor. "In case you were curious, yes, I do have a heart because it just stopped beating."

"You – you" she exclaimed, so worked up that words were failing her.

"Me? How about you? You wanna rip the door right off next time, Hulk Hogan?"

She stood in the doorway, exasperated, needing to seek him out to make sure he is in fact still here, and tear him a new one for being a conniving, evil sociopath who is the reason she is trapped here in the first place. While these thoughts clashed back and forth she had one clear thought of _I do not want to talk about this._ With that in mind she turned on her heel and walked swiftly back out the door.

"Woah, what?" she heard behind her as he scuffled to his feet and followed her out the door.

"What was that? Are we doing random scare test in the middle of the night? Did you miss me that much?"

She tried to ignore his words and continue down the hall but he held onto the back of her forearm and encased her between himself and the wall. She looked him up and down and had wondered briefly if all men slept in just their boxers.

"Bonnie, what's wrong?"

"I hate you," she spat, trying her best to keep her voice strong.

A flash of – confusion, hurt – crossed his face as he searched hers. "Why?"

"Why? WHY?" she gritted, her teeth audibly grinding. "Do you need me to make a list for you? You're a murderer, a sociopath, there's a prison world here with your name on it!"

"None of this is new information," he responded calmly. "And yet I don't see you busting down my door every night. What could I have done from dinner to now to make you hate me more?"

"Maybe I just see you for what you really are."

She heard him sigh and then she was over his shoulder, her hands on his lower back to keep from face planting on the ground.

"Are you crazy?!" she yelled, flailing her legs as he walked back the hall.

"I think we've already established that," he said as he stepped back into Damon's bedroom, putting her down and then shutting the door. "So why don't you tell this crazy person what's got you ready to stomp me out from up there on your high horse?"

"You're a conniving, evil –"

"BONNIE."

"YOU'LL LEAVE," she blurted, stunned that the words came out of her mouth.

"What – are you talking about? I've been up three minutes, maybe less, you're gonna have to form longer sentences here."

She couldn't stare at him dead on so she walked around him and into the bathroom, turning on the faucet to cool down her face and neck. She looked at herself in the mirror and took a deep breath, knowing he wasn't going to let this go. Gripping the counter for support she started from the beginning; endless hallways and doors, the darkness, finding him in the darkness, and the new piece of information she just found out. When she was finished she walked over to the bed, suddenly exhausted after replaying what she keeps envisioning, and sat down on one side.

"I can't – I can't escape you. You're everywhere, all the time. What I would do to not have that be a constant in my life. But I can't let you leave this prison Kai, like you said my moral high horse won't let me. I don't want to leave you here, but what is the alternative – you leaving me?"

"No." He sat down beside her. "The alternative is us _both_ leaving this place, no tricks, no betrayal; clean slate."

"Clean slate?" She scoffed.

"Oh come on Bon, I like you! You're fun to argue with and you're witty, and I can siphon your magic with a flick of the wrist. It's all good things! Okay so I shot you with an arrow, to be fair you stabbed me with a pic-axe and pen and killed me both times.

"You're still here."

"Like that itch you can't scratch," he retorted with a wiggle of his eyebrows. He moved one leg and then his lower half was under the covers, leaning back against the headboard. "Make yourself comfortable."

"Yeah right," she laughed. "The last place I'll be making myself comfortable is in your bed."

"Technically, it's Damon's bed. But I think I have full reign since I've been sleeping here for over a decade."

As she listened to his voice she could feel her eyelids getting heavier, her posture slouching. In one swift movement he had her pushed backwards to fit her feet under the covers and moved back to his spot.

"Ah, that's better, now let's get some sleep."

"Kai –"

"You know I'm not going to try anything, keep your magical little hands to yourself and you'll be fine. You don't look like you could get out of this bed if you tried; forget walking back to your room." He scooted down and readjusted his pillow, doing the same to hers.

"You'll be able to sleep easier, knowing someone's in the room with you. When I'd get really bad nightmares and couldn't fall back asleep Josette would stay up with me and we'd talk, play games, and watch TV until it wasn't the first thought on my mind anymore."

She turned to her side to face him as he lay on his back, his head towards her.

"By the time we'd go back to sleep I'd be so tired that I wouldn't dream for the rest of the night." He laughed, "It's weird but having someone else there, even if they aren't doing much, or sitting as close as I am to you now, it helps."

"It's a comfort thing."

"Hm?"

"Comfort," she said again, snuggling up more into the blankets. "Knowing you aren't alone and that someone is there for you. Guess it's a good thing you have a twin that couldn't get rid of you."

"At least for a while," he answered under his breath, looking up at the ceiling. He turned his head back towards her. "I'll be your comfort buddy," he said with a cheeky smile. "I mean it is no snuggle buddy, certainly nothing compared to a fuck buddy but it's a step in the right direction."

"I think you make me hate you a little more every day."

His laugh was wholehearted and genuine, and she couldn't help but smile in return. She closed her eyes listening to him and felt herself starting to slip into sub consciousness.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Mm?" she grunted with half her face in the pillow.

"When you're opening all the doors in your dream, do you think you were looking for me?"

She opened one eye to give him her best _bitch please_ look. "Don't flatter yourself I was looking for a way out."

"I think you were looking for me," he said again, "Maybe to help you, or see if I left without you. The same way you just were 20 minutes ago, breaking doors down in a panic."

She snorted and closed her eyes again, ignoring the shift in the bed and sensing he was closer.

"Bon," he said awfully close to her face. "How about this, If you don't try to leave without me, I promise I won't leave without you."

"Easier for you, this is Hell and I'm trying to keep Satan locked inside."

"Mm, feel like making a deal with the Devil?" He purred, laughing at her nose crinkle while her eyes are still closed. "Oh come on, I'll give you an offer you can't refuse."

"Okay _Mr. Cliché,"_ she retorted.

"You jump, I jump, right?"

"Are you kidding me with this? I'm going to sleep now. Stop talking."

He gently bumped his forehead against hers. "Sweet dreams, I'll be here when you wake up."

She was asleep before he finished his sentence.


	4. Chapter 4

_If there was a place revolved solely on hallways and doors, I have found its Utopia. I aimlessly wander this prison home of mine; taking in the same artwork and same interior and wonder if it will ever end. I turn my head to the right to see the next set of pictures and notice the hallway has stretched out to an impossible length. Tension starts to prickle in the back of my neck as I turn to check the other end of the hallway which is clear and sprint in that direction. I round the corner and see I'm hit with another hallway and start kicking open the doors – for what, an exit? – As I make my way down. I'm halfway through opening them when I hear a bulb go out behind me, and then another. I glance behind me and see the darkness approaching me fast, my throat closing in anticipation. I look at the destination at the end of the hallway, Damon's room, and knowing there would not be enough time to get there, hurl myself into the closest open door. Before my eyes can adjust I find myself downstairs, the main door within distance and the shadows nowhere in sight. I run for the door, swing it open and come face to face with what nightmares are made of; Malachai Parker. His stance reads tense as his intense glare blazes me from head to toe, keeping me locked in place as my eyes shift to the ascendant in one hand, and a knife in the other. The most chilling part of the scene playing out in front of me is not the man himself, but the thickness of black smoke that's surrounding him. Engulfing him would be a better description, as it's slowly making its way around him and up his legs. He cocks his head to the side, a come hither look playing at the corner of his mouth as he puts his hand with the knife behind his back and gives me a nod over his shoulder signaling "follow me". I watch him step farther back into the darkness slowly disappearing from view and my adrenaline starts to kick in; should I go? Will he kill me? Will I kill him to stop him from going? My moral and selfish obligations were clashing so hard I could feel my vision blurring and in the blink of an eye, he was gone. I looked into the vast emptiness, took a deep breath, and ran as fast I could… straight into the opening of the cave. The dark and dreary night was my first clue that something was terribly off, the magic sizzle that surrounds this Hell vortex not feeling quite so snug. I made my way into the cave looking for Kai, or the ascendant, even the knife would give me some satisfaction but all I found was a lone stack of CD's left on the ground illuminated by the moon's light. Reality hit me so hard it knocked me off my feet; Kai left me, and I was truly alone._

Bonnie woke up to the sound of her own voice screaming Kai's name. She heaved herself out of bed and hit the floor running, frantically opening doors trying to find him. She rounded the corner and hit the next hallway, adrenaline in full swing causing her to kick open the doors. An overwhelming sense of de ja vu and flashes of her dreams hit her in waves as she turned into the next hallway and saw Damon's door at the end. She swung open the door so hard it nearly broke off its hinges, causing Kai to roll over and fall out of bed from a deep sleep.

"Holy shit!" he coughed, still sitting on the floor. "In case you were curious, yes, I do have a heart because it just stopped beating."

"You – you" she exclaimed, so worked up that words were failing her.

"Me? How about you? You wanna rip the door right off next time, Hulk Hogan?"

She stood in the doorway, exasperated, needing to seek him out to make sure he is in fact still here, and tear him a new one for being a conniving, evil sociopath who is the reason she is trapped here in the first place. While these thoughts clashed back and forth she had one clear thought of _I do not want to talk about this._ With that in mind she turned on her heel and walked swiftly back out the door.

"Woah, what?" she heard behind her as he scuffled to his feet and followed her out the door.

"What was that? Are we doing random scare test in the middle of the night? Did you miss me that much?"

She tried to ignore his words and continue down the hall but he held onto the back of her forearm and encased her between himself and the wall. She looked him up and down and had wondered briefly if all men slept in just their boxers.

"Bonnie, what's wrong?"

"I hate you," she spat, trying her best to keep her voice strong.

A flash of – confusion, hurt – crossed his face as he searched hers. "Why?"

"Why? WHY?" she gritted, her teeth audibly grinding. "Do you need me to make a list for you? You're a murderer, a sociopath, there's a prison world here with your name on it!"

"None of this is new information," he responded calmly. "And yet I don't see you busting down my door every night. What could I have done from dinner to now to make you hate me more?"

"Maybe I just see you for what you really are."

She heard him sigh and then she was over his shoulder, her hands on his lower back to keep from face planting on the ground.

"Are you crazy?!" she yelled, flailing her legs as he walked back the hall.

"I think we've already established that," he said as he stepped back into Damon's bedroom, putting her down and then shutting the door. "So why don't you tell this crazy person what's got you ready to stomp me out from up there on your high horse?"

"You're a conniving, evil –"

"BONNIE."

"YOU'LL LEAVE," she blurted, stunned that the words came out of her mouth.

"What – are you talking about? I've been up three minutes, maybe less, you're gonna have to form longer sentences here."

She couldn't stare at him dead on so she walked around him and into the bathroom, turning on the faucet to cool down her face and neck. She looked at herself in the mirror and took a deep breath, knowing he wasn't going to let this go. Gripping the counter for support she started from the beginning; endless hallways and doors, the darkness, finding him in the darkness, and the new piece of information she just found out. When she was finished she walked over to the bed, suddenly exhausted after replaying what she keeps envisioning, and sat down on one side.

"I can't – I can't escape you. You're everywhere, all the time. What I would do to not have that be a constant in my life. But I can't let you leave this prison Kai, like you said my moral high horse won't let me. I don't want to leave you here, but what is the alternative – you leaving me?"

"No." He sat down beside her. "The alternative is us _both_ leaving this place, no tricks, no betrayal; clean slate."

"Clean slate?" She scoffed.

"Oh come on Bon, I like you! You're fun to argue with and you're witty, and I can siphon your magic with a flick of the wrist. It's all good things! Okay so I shot you with an arrow, to be fair you stabbed me with a pic-axe and pen and killed me both times.

"You're still here."

"Like that itch you can't scratch," he retorted with a wiggle of his eyebrows. He moved one leg and then his lower half was under the covers, leaning back against the headboard. "Make yourself comfortable."

"Yeah right," she laughed. "The last place I'll be making myself comfortable is in your bed."

"Technically, it's Damon's bed. But I think I have full reign since I've been sleeping here for over a decade."

As she listened to his voice she could feel her eyelids getting heavier, her posture slouching. In one swift movement he had her pushed backwards to fit her feet under the covers and moved back to his spot.

"Ah, that's better, now let's get some sleep."

"Kai –"

"You know I'm not going to try anything, keep your magical little hands to yourself and you'll be fine. You don't look like you could get out of this bed if you tried; forget walking back to your room." He scooted down and readjusted his pillow, doing the same to hers.

"You'll be able to sleep easier, knowing someone's in the room with you. When I'd get really bad nightmares and couldn't fall back asleep Josette would stay up with me and we'd talk, play games, and watch TV until it wasn't the first thought on my mind anymore."

She turned to her side to face him as he lay on his back, his head towards her.

"By the time we'd go back to sleep I'd be so tired that I wouldn't dream for the rest of the night." He laughed, "It's weird but having someone else there, even if they aren't doing much, or sitting as close as I am to you now, it helps."

"It's a comfort thing."

"Hm?"

"Comfort," she said again, snuggling up more into the blankets. "Knowing you aren't alone and that someone is there for you. Guess it's a good thing you have a twin that couldn't get rid of you."

"At least for a while," he answered under his breath, looking up at the ceiling. He turned his head back towards her. "I'll be your comfort buddy," he said with a cheeky smile. "I mean it is no snuggle buddy, certainly nothing compared to a fuck buddy but it's a step in the right direction."

"I think you make me hate you a little more every day."

His laugh was wholehearted and genuine, and she couldn't help but smile in return. She closed her eyes listening to him and felt herself starting to slip into sub consciousness.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Mm?" she grunted with half her face in the pillow.

"When you're opening all the doors in your dream, do you think you were looking for me?"

She opened one eye to give him her best _bitch please_ look. "Don't flatter yourself I was looking for a way out."

"I think you were looking for me," he said again, "Maybe to help you, or see if I left without you. The same way you just were 20 minutes ago, breaking doors down in a panic."

She snorted and closed her eyes again, ignoring the shift in the bed and sensing he was closer.

"Bon," he said awfully close to her face. "How about this, If you don't try to leave without me, I promise I won't leave without you."

"Easier for you, this is Hell and I'm trying to keep Satan locked inside."

"Mm, feel like making a deal with the Devil?" He purred, laughing at her nose crinkle while her eyes are still closed. "Oh come on, I'll give you an offer you can't refuse."

"Okay _Mr. Cliché,"_ she retorted.

"You jump, I jump, right?"

"Are you kidding me with this? I'm going to sleep now. Stop talking."

He gently bumped his forehead against hers. "Sweet dreams, I'll be here when you wake up."

She was asleep before he finished his sentence.


	5. Chapter 5

Her eyes felt so heavy she could barely keep them open. She stayed in the library flipping through countless books trying to keep her entertained, and waiting for the wine to take over. She dragged her feet down the hallways and turned a corner, realizing a hallway or two too late that she was walking towards Damon's bedroom, not the one she's been staying in. She looked back down where she came from, groaned, and continued walking down the hall, passing his room with a flip of her middle finger, and going into the next room. Her head barely hit the pillow before everything went dark.

 _I opened one door on the left side of the hall and looked around, then the one across from it._

 _"Kai? Where are you?" I didn't go into the rooms seeing how that would waste time, continuing my way down the hall opening each door. I rounded the corner and was hit with another aimless hallway._

 _"Oh come on. Damn it Kai, where are you!" I have so much pent up rage inside that I start kicking open the doors and twice as fast. I'm halfway through when I heard a lightbulb burst behind me, and then another. Darkness is engulfing the hallway, smothering the artwork on the walls, the décor on the ground and anything else in its path and it seems to be closing in on me fast. Breaking into a run I fight my way to the end of the hallway where Damon's room is but find it going farther and farther into the distance. In a last ditch effort to not be swallowed by the darkness, I throw myself into the closest room and find myself standing at the foyer of the main door. Looking around, feeling a slight resemblance of de ja vu, I yank open the door handle and land face to face with Kai Parker; knife and ascendant in hand. Fear claws at my throat as I watch him take me in from the feet up, locking in on my eyes. His intense gaze doesn't waver as he smiles and nods behind him for me to follow. Slowly but surely the shadows that are trying to trap me in this house are the same ones wafting up and around his legs, pulling him farther in. He's disappearing from view and I know it's now or never so I take a deep breath, grip my teeth, and reach out for him arm as I step through the entryway onto the porch and land directly in front of the cave entrance, Kai's shirt still gripped tight in my hand._

 _"Oh," I say dropping my hand. "What's going on?"_

 _He turns and walks into the cave with slow but deliberate moves and places himself directly in the circle of light where Damon disappeared during the eclipse. He looks over at me and raises his hand palm up with the knife towards her, a gesture for me to take them both. I grit my teeth and quickly grab the knife out of his hand and cut the palm of my hand, grabbing the ascendant out of his other hand to spill the blood over. I look into his smiling eyes and can't shake the anxiety of letting him loose in the real world; in my world where everyone I love is currently located. I start to mumble through the first verse of the chant, his eyes never leaving mine and feel my vision starting to blur; the spell mixed with the anxiety of this quick decision physically weighing down on me to the point I feel I may pass out. He grips my forearm to support me up and I look into his eyes, a calm wave washing over me; he killed his family, he was locked in here for a reason, and he can't leave._

 _"I – " I look at his arm that's holding onto mine and trail up to his face, still not understanding how someone so attractive can be so twisted. "I'm sorry, Kai."_

 _Without hesitation I plunged the blade keep into his abdomen, his hand gripping my arm and yelling out in pain, the first noise I've heard him make. I yanked it out and pushed back in aiming closer to his heart and he fell to his knees, his hands closing around hers on the knife. She looked into his eyes and watched his gaze turn cold – sinister – as he slowly shook his head._

 _"Wrong – choice." he puffed out between breaths before falling backwards with a hard thud._

 _Trying to catch my breath and keep moving I grabbed the ascendant that fell near him and continued the chant as quickly as I could. I heard the ticking and whirs that came out of it last time and looked up as the moon almost completely eclipsed the sun – and felt a searing pain shoot through my stomach. Gasping, I dropped the ascendant and dropped my head back down directly into Kai's gaze, an enraged look etched across his face and he pushed the knife deeper into my stomach. I backed up trying to get away from him and the pain but he followed my steps until I was against one of the walls._

 _"It didn't have to be like this," he said through gritted teeth, his other hand coming up to grab the side of my neck so I couldn't look away. I could feel his arm shaking from barely contained rage and started to feel lightheaded._

 _"The choice was yours to make, and here we are, so really this is kind of all your fault." He pulled the knife out and I slid to the floor, watching him back away to the only lit spot in the cave and picked up the ascendant. He looked up as the light started to encase him, throwing one last glance at me over his shoulder._

 _"I'll tell your friends you said hi" he said with a wink, and he was gone._

"Bonnie? BONNIE?" She heard his voice get progressively louder until it ripped through her sub consciousness, jolting her out of a deep sleep and landing her directly in Kai's arms.

"What are you doing? Get your hands off me!"

"Bonnie – wait – stop!" arms and legs were being thrown around everywhere as Bonnie tried to wrestle herself out of his grip, and out of the covers, as Kai tried to calm her frantic moves.

"Just – OKAY." He leaned forward and spun her around so her back was to him and put her in a giant bear hug, his hands restraining her arms.

"Kai I swear to God –"

"Now let's not go doing anything rash," he laughed next to her ear. "Just relax, okay? You were having a nightmare and when I tried to wake you up, you wouldn't, so I tried shaking you awake a little bit, harmless really."

She struggled to get out of his grip as he spoke, the icy look that he was just giving her in his dream vivid in her mind. Not to mention the getting stabbed part, again.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said calmly, as if reading her mind, and she felt her body relax just a fraction. He let go of her arms and she quickly scooted away from him climbing up towards the headboard.

"Why are you in here?"

"I was just – I don't know – checking? I was walking out of my room to get a drink and saw this door open and you were mumbling and saying my name, and, well – crying."

"What?" She reached for her face and felt it soaked, trying her best attempt to wipe away the last five minutes from reality.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

He gave her a comical look and cocked his head to the side. "Yeah, cause," he pointed to her face, "that happens all the time."

"What do you want me to say?"

"Tell me what happened."

"I don't even want to be around you right now, let alone chat. How about we pick this up in the morning?"

"See the thing with that is, it's still the middle of the night, so there's a long way to go before morning. And you're looking a little whoosey belligerent with a case of the Debby Downer's - a look me and Josette used to take turns perfecting – so I know it well and what it entails.

"And what would that be?"

"Distractions, mostly. Talking, watching a movie, playing a game, food; whatever works."

"Somehow I don't see you sitting on the floor at 3am with Jo playing chutes and ladders."

"Oh you would be wrong." He laughed. "We played board games, card games, video games, those M.A.S.H games where you wrote down a bunch of stuff and told you you're future – what a sham by the way. And then when we got bored of those we'd make stuff up like a back and forth questionnaire, or two truths and a lie, which sibling do you dislike the most; just normal stuff."

"Normal," she laughed. "That should be the last word in your vocabulary. Right above sane."

"Ah, I've picked up on a few along the way," he scooted closer. "So what do you say?

She looked him up and down, noticing once again he is in nothing but his boxers, and landed back on his face. Six months ago this person had no influence in her life whatsoever, no reason for one person's face and actions to be playing on a constant loop for days, weeks, months at a time. The real kick is thinking all of these thoughts about such a good looking person and having a knot in your stomach over what they've done, of what they will do if given the chance. A flash of dream Kai's angry stare reflected back at her and she had to shake her head to clear the thoughts.

"Fine, five questions, I'll go first; Do you plan on killing your coven if you get out of here?"

" _When_ I get out of here, it's on the agenda. Not all of them of course, only the specific – like my father – who need to learn what being a Coven leader fully entails. Oh, and I need to become Coven leader first. So yes, but no; not immediately."

"Ugh. You –"

"ah bah bah, my turn," he chirped. "First question, what were you dreaming of?"

She gave him a bored stare. "You already know this."

"But I don't know the part that had you weeping like a little baby."

"Wow."

"A big baby?"

"Kai!"

"Okay! Just – weeping, I guess. Like an – average – normal sized – person… baby."

"That was sophisticated," she snorted, aggravated at herself for not choosing any other game."

"Can't I just ask you questions?"

"Tell you what, you can ask me as many as you want if you can answer this one."

She let out a deep breath, not wanting to tell him what is going on in her mind but secretly wanting to know what is going on in his. She contemplated lying to him, I mean really how would he know the difference, but a small part of her wanted him to know what she really thinks of him.

"Okay, well it was nothing that hasn't happened to me already – You stabbed me, and left me for dead in this Hell hole that was created for you."

"Why did I stab you?"

"Because that's a thing you do?"

"I just came out of nowhere and stabbed you?"

"No I – you – listen you stabbed me! And that is why I was crying, because I was in pain, and I was all alone, and I wasn't feeling too happy about the predicament I found myself in. Okay? Alright, next question; if given the opportunity, would you kill me to escape by yourself?

He blew out a breath. "That was a lot of information at one time, and I should have guessed it would roll right into the next question. Are you asking would I prefer to kill you and leave by myself? No, this place has it's quirks but I wouldn't pick leaving you here or killing you if I don't have to.

"And if you have to?"

"Is that another question?"

"What? Whatever, sure."

"If I had to kill you to survive? Me vs. you, Gladiator style, only one survives; yeah I think I'd be making it out of that one."

She tried to push herself off the bed but he stopped her with his hand on his leg. "Did you really expect me to answer that any other way? I would expect you to answer the same; seeing how this is a hypothetical we're talking about and you have _actually_ killed me twice to leave on your own."

"You deserved it."

"Probably," he smiled "but I'm not trying to be your enemy, Bon, we're both here and we both have the same goal in mind; leaving this Hell. I won't take out your precious friends or vampires, I'll try to avoid Mystic Falls all together but I am getting out of here."

"And if I say I won't let you?"

"Then I think we've gone from a hypothetical into what happened in your dream."

She felt goosebumps break out along her arms and hugged her legs closer trying to stay warm.

"Am I wrong?" He leaned closer. "Did you try to go back on our deal and dream me wasn't having it?"

His smile widened when she didn't answer.

"Well there you have it, dream me, like real me, isn't too fond of being tricked, or betrayed, especially at the last possible moment – just ask my twin." He winked.

She scoffed and pulled the covers up closer to her but struggled since Kai was sitting on the majority of them. He got up so she could pull them closer and thought maybe he would leave, instead of sitting next to her at the top of the bed.

"I don't know what other way to put it; this place is not meant for someone to be stuck in for a long period of time, we both want to go home, see some folks, have a reunion, and we can! Together, or separate, but we both can make it out of here alive. But I can promise you, no matter what plan you have up your sleeve that your sub conscious is trying to key you in on – I am leaving here with or without you."

He squeezed her hand before getting off the bed and walking out the door, leaving the light on for her. She looked at the clock next to her blinking 5:35AM and groaned as her head fell back into the pillow.


	6. Chapter 6

Bonnie was determined to not have a nightmare that night, and how else would she succeed but by not sleeping that night. She wasn't able to fall asleep after Kai left her room early this morning and has been keeping herself active and energized all day, going for a walk in the woods, doing some self-defense moves Damon taught her after her "pathetic attempts" to defend herself during play fights, and finally going for a nice long drive to nowhere in particular. Half of her efforts was to keep her mind off of her dreams and her current living situation – which it did, but the other was to ward off all unwanted thoughts of Kai Parker leaving this prison world and wreaking havoc in hers. Who's to say if he is still the same deranged psycho that murdered his siblings one Spring day, but who really knows if he isn't, he hasn't had much human interactions to spew homicidal thoughts in the last couple decades.

She came home around 10PM and went straight for the shower, blocking out everything but the calming effect it had on her body while she tried to keep her mind distracted. When she was out and dressed her made her way down to the living room to watch a movie, and where else would Kai be, but right where she was planning on sitting.

"Oh hello," he said over his shoulder. "I was wondering if you were going to grace me with your presence today. I made dinner earlier, probably cold by now but I left it in the microwave."

Her curiosity peaked as she walked over to the kitchen and opened the microwave, finding chicken fingers and French fries that she saw in the freezer the night before."

"Chicken fingers? Not your best," she remarked as she the button for two minutes.

"Well I was eating alone," he shrugged. "Isn't nearly as much fun. Come on, I was just about to start another movie."

"What are you watching?" She asked as she grabbed her plate from the microwave, a water, and the blanket before plopping down next to him on the couch.

" _Something scaaaary,"_ he remarked all creepily and drawn out. "I just finished _The Shining_ , what a classic, a man losing his mind over isolation and attacking his family." He nodded, "good stuff. Ironically, next in line is _A Nightmare on Elm Street._ I'm sure you've heard of it, scary guy all burned up with knives for his fingers starts killing people off in their dreams, twisted stuff but really creative. This Wes Craven guy, he's gonna do big things."

She snorted, going down the list of classic Stephen King movies that set the bar for the genre.

He leaned forward and grabbed the huge bowl of popcorn that she somehow missed. "You can have some too if the chicken finger's aren't doing it for you, popcorn and a scary movie really goes hand in hand."

She rolled her eyes but still reached over to grab a handful of popcorn and munched on it as he dimmed the lights and the movie started. She hated to admit it, she was a little creeped out to admit it, but sitting in a dark room watching a horror movie with the person who's haunting her dreams is not nearly as terrifying as she thought it would be. In fact, as far as the darkness of the topic goes she feels pretty light as she listens to him joke about the storyline, the acting, and of course how he could do it better.

"You have no idea," she laughed, reaching for another handful of popcorn. "You think these special effects are cool? You wouldn't believe what film and television can get away with nowadays, it's pretty surreal."

"You mean more surreal than this face coming out of the guy's stomach? Cause I mean, that's some solid acting on both parts."

"You're stupid," she laughed. "You would be amazed, just wait you'll see."

"I plan on it," he turned towards her and smiled; one of his rare genuine looks crossing his face and she realized a beat too late what just came out of her mouth. _How was that just said so carefree?_

"Anyway," she shook her head, "even with an extra 20-30 years of special effects and new storylines, this is still one of the best horror movies ever made."

"You're kidding, I could've come up with this!"

"Oh I don't doubt that," she said with a roll of her eyes, "but yeah, so many things get sequels and updated and don't have that fresh new story that catches people by surprise, not like this."

"Hm. Maybe we'll have to have another horror movie marathon of my 90's movies vs your favorite scary movies and we'll see who comes out on top."

"Pff, yeah," she scoffed. " _Right."_

"Okay cool! It's a date," he said as he looked at her with a cheeky smile. "See if you can keep up."

She snorted and looked back at the TV, watching the last five minutes play out without any other banter. Once the credits started rolling he took out the VHS and held up another.

"Poltergeist?"

"Hell yeah! I'll give the Salvatore's credit what they lack in other categories they make up for in the horror movie department. Lots of classics from over the decades, I mean they've had that long to make this collection but still." He wiggled the VHS, "up for another?"

"Sure," she shrugged, wrapping the blanket more around herself until she was in a little cocoon and leaned farther back into the couch.

"Will you share your blanket?"

She crinkled her eyebrows in confusion.

"I share you all my popcorn but you can't share me your blanket? I'm feeling a little used here."

She rolled her eyes, laughing once before unwrapping a portion of it so he could fit under it.

"That's unnecessarily close," she pointed out as he scooted farther into the blankets.

"Well you're hogging them all I have to get close or I'll just have an arm that's warm and comfortable while the rest of me freeze to death."

"So dramatic," she huffed, trying to pull more out from under her so he would give her room – he didn't.

"Much better," he said, as snuggled up and comfortable as she must look. She turned herself slightly so that her legs were closer to him and head was closer to the opposite end of the couch. He scooped up her legs and swung them over his thigh resting his arms on them.

"Excuse me?" She lifted her head and tried to lift one off him.

"You're fine," he smiled, looking over at her and keeping his arms locked in place. "We're both comfortable, it's a movie, don't worry about it."

She stared at him a moment longer before slowly resting her head back on the arm rest of the couch, not at all sure of what she was supposed to do.

He hit play and they started off the same way as the last movie; making jokes at the plots, or the actors, and filling in their own commentary – much like she used to do with her own friends. They were about halfway through the movie when she felt her eyes getting heavier and the noise sounding farther away. Before she could protest to say she was getting tired, she was pulled into the darkness.

When she opened her eyes she saw the static playing on the TV signaling the end of the tape and that was the only light that illuminated the room. She lifted her head towards her feet and saw Kai sleeping, still sitting upright but slouched to the side in her direction. Her eyes trailed down his arm and noticed her own hand was gripping his sleeve, almost like he was leaning towards her because she was pulling him. She let go of him abruptly like her hand was burned and tried to scoot herself backwards off his lap without him noticing; it didn't work.

"Mm," he mumbled, his hand resting firmly on the spot above her knee. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to bed," she said as she tried again to pull her legs off him still to no avail.

"Mine or yours?" he asked, eyes closed while his hand stayed locked on her leg.

" _Mine_ , obviously, I'll sleep in the same room as last night, but we're on the couch right now so you should go to bed too."

"Mm mine or yours?" he laughed then _oophed_ out a grunt when she intentionally kicked him in the stomach as she pulled her legs back.

"Goodnight Kai," she said as she got up and headed towards the open entryway.

"Try not to kill me in your sleep. Or in mine!" he laughed, still not moving from his spot.

She shook her head and laughed as she headed back toward the room.


	7. Chapter 7

_I looked from one mindless piece of artwork to the next, making my way down the hall. 'I hate these' I thought as I ticked them off as I went. Trapped in another decade, frozen in time, left behind, and paralyzed; very similar to my own predicament I find myself in time and time again. I make my way down the hall, opening the doors as I go, calling out for Kai and getting angrier at each empty room I find. I'm reaching the end of the hallway when I see a bulb go out right in front of me, and then another, leaving the darkness less than a foot from my face. I gasp and take an involuntary step back, trying to find my bearings to run when the next light goes out and I'm surrounded by dark shadows swarming around, moving so fast I feel dizzy trying to look through it for my way out. I feel my chest start to tighten and want to scream when I feel a hand reach around my forearm and gently pull me in their direction. I try to see through the smoke but can't make out anything so I blindly follow the leader until my next breath is full of fresh air and I'm standing outside the opening of the cave in the woods. I look next to me and see Kai staring back at me, nodding towards the cave for me to walk in first. I look back at him then towards the cave, steering myself for what's to come and head inside to the small space surrounded by a circle of light. He walks past me and straight to the position in the middle of the light then stretches out his arm palm up, knife in hand. I blow out a breath and step towards him, grabbing the knife quickly and slicing my palm before reaching for his other hand with the ascendant and spilling the blood over it. I keep my hand wrapped around his wrist and start the spell, eyes shut tight. If I look at him I'm terrified I will stop the spell, or feel justified continuing, or try to kill him before the spells over. I heard the ticks and whirs of the ascendant, signaling it and my magic intermingling, and felt my equilibrium thrown off as this wave of dizziness almost knocked me off my feet. Kai grabbed onto my hip with his other hand to steady me, our eyes locking when I glanced up at him. His eyebrows were crinkled, almost as if he was worried for me. I looked down at the ascendant in his hand then back into his gaze, his eyes reflecting the smile he had on as he nodded for me to continue. I shook my head and took a deep breath, - figured, hell, if he gets bad enough it'll be easier for me to stick him back in this prison than keep him locked inside – and started in on the last verse of the spell. I looked overhead and saw the sun was almost completely eclipsed, in moments I would be home. I felt the hand that was on my waist move to cup the side of my face and neck, bringing my gaze back down into his. His smile was so genuine and unguarded I couldn't help but smile the same way back and in the blink of an eye his lips were on mine. But this wasn't just a quick thank you peck, no, this was a deep kiss of gratitude that I felt go straight down my spine and made my toes tingle. I gasped and tried to pull back but my head was locked in his grasp, and he didn't seem like he planned on letting go. He glanced down to see if he was still in the circle and leaned back in, his lips exploring mine as his hand with the ascendant wrapped around my back and pulled me closer, deepening the kiss. I tried to lean my head back, which happened to press my chest more into his, and he followed my tilting his head forward. Feeling a rush of adrenaline, I pushed both my hands into his hair to take control of the kiss and felt him moan against my mouth as the light above us flashed and we were teleported out of the cave._

Bonnie woke up the same way as she usually did; shooting straight out of bed with a racing heartbeat, confusion, and fear. She looked around her to see if Kai made his way into her bed and pushed her hands through her hair trying to piece together what just happened. An overwhelming sense of anxiety and confusion were definitely swarming around her every thought, fear ever present as well. She touched her lips and could swear they felt like they were tingling, her breath catching replaying when he deepened the kiss. She jumped out of bed, needing to move around in some way to keep up with how quickly her thoughts were going and made her way into the living room, surprised to see Kai never moved from the couch. She stayed frozen in the doorway, staring at the side of his profile and wondering; how? How does one become so deranged, how can one look so innocent while they do it, _how is he in every waking moment of her life?_ She walked to the side of the couch and kicked the armrest hoping it would jolt him awake; no luck. She went in front of him and threw a couple pieces of popcorn at his head, still nothing. Sighing she walked directly in front of him and starting ripping the blanket out from under him, making his eyes open and spring into action after only a few tugs.

"Woah," he laughed, slowly lowering himself back onto the couch. "I wasn't sure what was just happening. I thought – never mind. What's going on?"

"Nothing, I just, came down to watch TV and saw you were still sleeping here. Go upstairs, get some sleep."

"You came down here to watch TV, what time is it?"

"It's – uh – I actually have no idea I just woke up and came down here."

"You were sleeping? Did you have your nightmare?"

She briefly let the end of her dream play out as she spoke, "It –well- uh yeah, yes I did. Now get up," she said as she pulled him up by the arm.

"Wanna walk me back to my room? It'll be very gentlemanly of you," he cooed, throwing his arm over her shoulder and leaner into her for support.

"Do you even hear yourself sometimes?" She grunted, trying to hold his weight steady as she made her way down the hall and towards his room. She tried to keep him upright as she opened the door, slightly bumping him into it but he didn't seem to mind with his eyes closed and half unconscious. She made her way over to the bed and tried to throw him on but he grabbed onto her arm and she went tumbling down on top of him.

" _Ooph,"_ she let out, her face falling directly into his chest.

"Mm comfy," he said, starting to wrap his arms around her. "Now why don't you tell me about this nightmare?"

"Kai, stop," she grunted, trying to push her hands against his chest to lift herself up. Safe to say, his arm strength was a little more up to par than hers.

"What's wrong?" he asked, still holding her close. "What happened?" He opened his eyes and lifted his head slightly to look into hers. "Did I hurt you?"

She looked up into his gaze and saw that same look of unguardedness had her momentarily pause before continuing her struggle.

"Let me go Kai."

"Did you try and kill me again? I thought we talked about that, I turn into an animal backed into a corner – I just kinda lash out and fight my way free. Don't worry, I don't plan on doing that to you any time soon."

She let that sink in for a moment as she momentarily stopped fighting to get free.

"You know, a lot of the things you do in my nightmares… it's so terrifying because it's things you would really do and I could really be playing them out."

"Yeah," he said, rolling her to a more comfortable spot but still locked within his grip. "But like I said, I don't plan on hurting you."

"What do you plan on doing if I let you out?"

He opened his eyes and looked down his nose at her, a smile playing at the side of his mouth. She felt her heart beat racing so fast in her throat she thought she might be hyperventilating. She needed to get out of here, now.

"What do you mean?" he answered coyly, "what do you want me to do?"

"Oh please," she scoffed, feeling like a toddler trapped in their vise grip car-seat; no way to escape.

"What'd you dream about, Bon?" he leaned his head down closer to her temple. "Did you decide to take me with you?"

"Yes," she answered through gritted teeth, and could feel his laughter through his chest.

"Was I grateful?"

She looked up at him fast, a little creeped out that he was able to pinpoint the exact emotion she pegged dream Kai was feeling as he kissed her.

Now she could hear his laugh over the vibrations of his chest.

"I don't know Bon-Bon, your dreams seem pretty accurate to me so far; I don't know what specifically happened in this one but if the blush on your face is any indication, I can say it's probably closer to reality than you think."

He nuzzled the side of her head and loosened his grip enough for her to be able to rip herself away from him, sitting upright and as far back as the bed would take her.

"Yeah, I think you holding me hostage and not letting me escape your grip was a fairly accurate representation, if this is any indication."

"Ha!" he laughed, "well yes, that does sound about right, but you could easily escape my grasp if you really wanted to."

"I beg to differ," she scoffed. "Did you not see what was just happening?" she waved across his chest and stomach.

"I did, yes, I saw me not holding you with much force and you not using much force to break free. It was rather embarrassing on both our parts."

"Are you kidding me?"

He leaned up and started dragging himself towards the pillows, attempting to throw the covers behind his feet and situate himself inside all in one movement. She watched him get comfortable under the covers and the next second had her pulled in front of him, chest to back.

"What the hell!" she yelled, trying to squirm out of his grip. Being this close to him after the last few nights, and now this dream, was causing her mind to think crazy irrational thoughts that she had to separate herself from immediately. "Let go of me!"

"But you're so cozy right now," he whined, his forehead dropping to rest against the back of her neck and pulling her up and closer into him.

"I'm in Hell right now," she said continuing her attempt to break free.

"I know it is pretty hot in here," he mused without skipping a beat, rubbing his forehead against her.

She stopped mid-movement turning her head slightly to try and look at him and shook her head, laughing.

"Why are you the cheesiest person I've ever met?"

He laughed under his breath. "Years of practice."

"You're not letting me go, are you?"

He pulled her closer so his face was nuzzled against her ear. "Don't count on it."

She sighed and sank farther back into her pillow, not sure what to do with this information or – more terrifyingly – how she felt about it.


	8. Chapter 8

You know sometimes when you're falling asleep and you get into that hazy, drifting state of mind where you feel tingly and a sense of floating? Bonnie could feel a similar electric charge spreading throughout her entire body even in her deep sleep. She could feel the sparks shooting out of her fingers and toes, her breath catching at the overwhelming sense of power that consumed her. She felt as if her hands were outstretched at her sides against the wind, waiting for it to lift her up and blow her away but this force was keeping her grounded, in control. Her mind fogged into dizziness, failing to find a logical escape route over the pleasure that racked her body. She could feel herself getting higher, higher up into the clouds where the static sucked out all of the air – leaving her gasping – and pulling herself out of her dream state.

She opened her eyes and quickly looked over at the outside of her arm, where Kai was lazily grazing up and down from her shoulder to elbow. She looked back in front of her, eyes wide, trying to piece together what is happening to what she was just feeling. He trailed his index finger down again to her elbow and she felt a static charge shoot down to her fingers.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed as she attempted to throw herself hands dfirst out of his bed, his arm quickly snaking around her waist and pulling her back.

"Woah there," he laughed. "You're gonna hurt yourself if you aren't careful."

"I think you're already doing that plenty!" she said, smacking at his hand.

He gripped her tighter and leaned in behind her ear sending goosebumps down her spine. "You don't seem in any pain to me."

"You sleep siphoned me you asshole!" she squirmed to turn herself around in his embrace to beat on his chest; really an ineffective method when you get down to it. He wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug and her hands and face were squished into his chest.

"Technically, yes - I did, but in my defense it's practically radiating off of you! It was just a taste. Besides," he loosened his grip slightly so he could look down at her, "If I didn't know any better I'd think you liked it.

The statement itself on top of the way Kai's sleep voice dropped to an unimaginable low as he quietly said the last line had Bonnie taking in a shaky breath and pushing her palms flat against his chest.

"There is no way in Hell I would ever like your hands on me. And you were stealing my magic!"

His big lazy smile let her know her words had no impact on him. "Now you're just being silly. And I wasn't stealing your magic per say, but borrowing it, giving it a nice kick and handing it back to you.

She replayed her dream and felt the rush of electricity that had her so wound up she couldn't catch her breath, she couldn't feel anything over the tingling all over her body –

"It's a rush, right?" he slowly dragged his hand down her spine. "That flood of power and adrenaline hitting you so fast you can't breathe, can't think about anything except wanting more."

Her skin felt like pins and needles everywhere he touched. She closed her eyes, trying to block out his words and the sensation she was feeling.

"It's overwhelming," he pressed on. "Depending who you're with; If you have the right person and the sparks are already flying," he ducked his head down to touch her forehead with his. "It can be _insatiable._ "

Vivid images of the kiss with Kai in her dream mixed with these new overwhelming sensations were making her physically dizzy, his face starting to sway in front of her. She grabbed his hand from behind her back to stop his movements but he just held onto it, him thumb putting light pressure against her palm.

"You know while we're on the topic of being insatiable and wanting more, why don't you tell me about that dream last night."

Images were firing at a rapid pace; flashes of his hands around her, the smell of him, the flutter she felt when he deepened the kiss, him moaning –

"I –"She stuttered. "I don't know what you could be referring to."

"No?" he questioned, a smile playing in the corner of his mouth

"No, I don't. Just because I don't tell you every detail doesn't mean you have a clue of what's going on. In the last dream you stabbed me, the one before that you abandoned me. See a pattern? They aren't shining you in too great of a light."

"How did this one hold up?"

She felt the electric charge still lingering in her body. "Well I didn't wake up screaming, but it was still traumatizing."

He laughed deep in his throat and pressed his thumb against her palm, a small shock of pleasure hitting her. "The traumatic moments are also the most exhilarating; you never know what's going to happen next."

He lifted her hand from behind her back over her head, pressing his body slightly into hers so she fell on her back. He gazed up from their interlocked hand down to her toes and back up, settling on her face.

"I'll find out, you know," he smirked. "One way or another."

She scoffed. "I'd like to see you try."

He raised an eyebrow, "Is that a challenge?"

"One that I have a clear advantage of if it is," she shot back.

"Oh well then you're on Bonster," his gaze smoldered. "Let's see what'cha got."

-x—x—x—

By the time night rolled around, Bonnie was still going back and forth debating where she should sleep, or if she should at all. Over the months being here she has pulled all-nighters, more so within the last two weeks and felt like death the next day but somehow it seemed worth it. A part of her wanted to snuggle back up into her own bed and forget about the thoughts swarming her day in and day out, but the fear of not knowing what kind of dream she would be trapped in had her putting in the third, maybe fourth movie and snuggling back into her blanket on the couch. The other part of her tired mind debated if she could crawl quietly into Kai's bed without waking him; she couldn't figure it out for the life of her but when he was close-by she didn't seem to have nightmares, a cruel irony all in itself. Finally she decided food would be the best option and made her way into the kitchen – finding Kai leaning against the counter holding a glass of water. He regarded her with a nod and raised the glass to his lips, not seeming too surprised to find her there.

"I didn't know you were awake," she said as she made her way over the fridge, eyes drifting over the leftovers. She decided on a sandwich – quick and easy, and started pulling out the cold-cuts, condiments, and made her way over to the bread box next to Kai.

"Midnight snack?" he mused as he watched her put everything on the island in front of him. "Is it still considered a midnight snack when it's 4 in the morning?"

She glanced over at the clock hanging on the wall, eyebrows raised to find it already being that late and shrugged it off.

"Here," grabbing a knife from the drawer and nudging her out of the way. "My chef skills are exceptional even with simple dishes such as this," he said with a wave of his hand. "Have a seat."

She sat on the other side of the island watching him as he laid everything out in front of him before diving in. She had to admit one of the better parts of having Kai here with her, aside from the company even when it's uninvited, was that he loved to cook. Unlike Damon, who tried his best in everything he attempted to cook, Kai seemed to throw things together effortlessly and they were always delicious. She watched as he layered all the ingredients; mayo, lettuce, cheese, turkey, lettuce, and mayo on the other slice before stacking it together neatly and cutting it diagonally. He looked in the cabinet behind him and pulled out a bag of chips, sprinkling some on the plate and sandwich before sliding it over to her.

"Drink?" he asked walking over to the fridge.

"Water." She said through a mouth full of food.

He grabbed the pitcher of water and poured her a glass then refilled his own. Putting the pitcher back in the fridge he rounded the island to where he was standing and rested his arms against the counter.

"Are you just going to stand there and watch me eat?" she questioned as she took another large bite.

"Yeah, why not," he smiled. "What else would I be doing at 4AM?"

He grabbed a chip off her plate before continuing. "If you were here for dinner you wouldn't be so hungry."

She shrugged as she popped a chip into her mouth, replaying the mini road trip she took today in Damon's car to who knows where. By the time she made it back it was almost midnight and he was already in his room.

"Where's the fun in that if I can have you make me something whenever the time feels right?"

He laughed as he took another chip, licking the salt off his lip and showing his bright smile. "You got me there."

She laughed as she started in on the second half, her stomach doing little flips of happiness after being deprived of a real meal all day. Apparently candy and Slim Jim's from the gas stations just didn't suffice.

She looked up to find him staring back at her with a smile on his face.

"What?"

"I like watching you eat, with a lot of gusto. Sometimes you make these little _num num_ noises if it's made just right; it's very entertaining."

She drew in her eyebrows and looked down at her plate, wondering what she must look like when she's devouring her food. She got up to take her plate to the sink but he scooped it off the counter before she got the chance. She closed her eyes and stretched, listening to the water run and when she opened them he was standing in front of her. She took in involuntary step back.

"Uh, thanks, for the sandwich. Goodnight," she turned and headed back to the living room.

"No problem," he followed her steps. "Are you going to bed?"

"Not right now, I just ate." She rounded the corner into the living room and plopped on the couch. He stood behind it leaning over the back with his hands locked and glanced over at her.

"Should I be expecting my comfort buddy to saunter in after your movies?"

"Pff," she scoffed. "Don't get your hopes up, seeing how the moment I would you'd be stealing my magic again."

He _tsked_ shaking his head. "You touch a girl in bed one time and they freak out." He smirked coming around the side of the couch to sit on the armrest and swing his legs over.

"I'll let you in on a secret; you were sleeping on the other side of the bed and started to make anxious noises like you were slipping into a nightmare. So being the great guy that I am I wrapped myself around you and the noises stopped. I started rubbing your arm in a comforting way and you relaxed, so I pushed on a little bit and then you seemed to _really_ relax and started making a different kind of noise – and then you woke up."

Her mouth dropped open to speak and a choked noise came out.

"I know, right before the good part – isn't that always the case!" he laughed and glanced over at the TV to see what movie was playing.

"Another scary one? Nice choice."

She couldn't figure out why her brain wouldn't form sarcastic sentences for her to throw back at him. She couldn't logically understand how the person who has caused pain and misery to his own family could be the only source of comfort she has in her life at the moment. She didn't trust him, couldn't figure him out, and he scared her; but the more she was around him the more terrified her own thoughts made her.

"I'm not sleeping with you," she watched as his expression changed to initial shock and turned his head to look at her, followed by a slow smile of amusement.

"Now Bonnie I just don't think that's true," she could see his bright smile lighting up his face even in the darkened room. "But I won't rush you; just know that invitation is always open." He winked at her before getting off the armrest and heading out the door.

She shook her head to shake the memories, then stood up and shook her entire body, dancing around to try and wake herself up. Now she was more than determined to stay up the rest of the night.


	9. Chapter 9

4:25PM flashed at her from the clock across the room, slightly hazy looking from the waves of exhaustion that kept hitting her every twenty minutes. Staying up all night; always seems like a decent plan until you actually do it, and then you're left in half a dream state acid trip where you're either too tired or too loopy to make sense of anything.

"Hey sleepy bones," he strolled into the room with a plate of eggs and bacon in one hand, OJ in the other.

"Isn't it a little late for breakfast?" she asked as he set the food in front of her.

"Do you know what time of day it is right now? Light or dark out, can you even tell?" he waved a hand in front of her face.

She pulled herself out of her daydream haze and focused on the food, going for a piece of bacon and feeling her insides sigh in gratification.

"Mmm, bacon," she hummed, eating the entire piece before opening her eyes. "One of God's greatest gifts," she laughed, going for another piece.

He laughed with her, seeming to enjoy her blasé state and went to grab the keys on the table next to the front door.

"I was going to ask if you wanted to join, but seeing how you don't seem like you can keep your eyes open let alone walk around I'm gonna head to the store to pick up a few things. Want anything in particular?

She hummed, thinking about all the delectable meals he could make but not wanting to put much effort into making a mental list.

"I dunno, everything," she shrugged, picking up another piece of bacon. "Bacon!" she said through a mouth full of eggs. "And chicken, maybe some tuna. And drinks! We need lots of drinks, regular and alcoholic alike."

He nodded as he twirled the keys around his finger, listening to all of her suggestions and headed for the door.

"And quesadillas!" she yelled and heard him laughing as he shut the door.

-x—x—x—x—x—

She felt her heavy eyes ache from exhaustion, noticing a beat later that her eyes are in fact closed. She opened them and saw the TV playing in front of her realizing she must have fallen asleep after Kai went to the store. She moved her head slightly and felt she wasn't flat on the couch or against a pillow. She lifted her head and looked behind her seeing Kai sitting upright on the couch watching a show, one arm slung across the top and the other holding the remote against the armrest.

"Oh hi," he smirked as she pushed her head off of his lap and sat up straight, facing him.

"What the hell, Kai?" She ran a hand frustratingly through her hair. "You're unbelievable."

"Calm down," he laughed, arms raised momentarily. "That was all you. After I put away the groceries I came in and you were in a little ball in the middle cushion. I gave you your blanket and sat down to watch something – then you stretched out across the entire couch and landed in my lap. What was I gonna do, wake you up? Come on."

"You could have moved my head!"

"Huh, that thought never came to mind." He shrugged. "Oh well. You've only been out for about an hour, you can continue your nap I won't stop you."

"Mm that just doesn't sound so appealing anymore." She yawned and stood trying to shake off her achy muscles. "I got to get the hell out of here, my bed misses me."

"I agree, this house is starting to get a little stuffy." He looked over at her, "When do you think that will be?"

She pushed her hand through her hair again, avoiding his eyes. Bonnie had high hopes that Damon would have found a way to save her by now without letting Kai loose. That this past week and a half of constant thoughts wondering where, when, how and having Damon and Kai's face surrounding her every waking moment, and apparently some sleeping ones as well. She could feel her throat getting scratchy and dry, a nauseous feeling raising that happens every time she lets herself think about this. She has her magic ready to go, her sub conscious screaming at her to hall ass out of this place but factoring in Kai Parker to the equation brings her back to square one. Her optimistic light of _Damon will save me tomorrow_ is slowly but surely starting to dim in this dark vortex and her other options are dwindling.

"Sooner the better," she said lightly, hoping the topic would be passed over.

"Again, I agree, and you may have noticed I'm a little antsy to get out of this place. I haven't threatened, attacked, or stabbed you since Damon left, and that's pretty impressive! Considering how badly I want to go home and you are the key to making that happen."

He drummed his fingers against the armrest.

"Not to mention you hid the ascendant on me, which yes I will agree was funny the first few days but now I'm feeling a little _Indiana Jones_ and may have to go on a quest to find my treasure."

"Forgive me for not trusting you with the one thing that controls our – _my_ – destiny and freedom. It's safe, secure, and in a place well-hidden."

She glanced over at him and saw him looking back with an intense but expressionless stare. She saw his jaw tick as he worked through whatever thoughts he was having and a blink later his carefree expression was back.

"Interesting," he mused, "okay, as long as the plan's still a go. Besides, there are still plenty of ways for us to pass the time."

"Ugh," she groaned, turning away from him.

"Not _that_ you little dirty bird! But nice to know what's on your mind. I was thinking more along the lines of getting to know each other better."

"Why?"

"Because, I want to know more about you, and I want you to know more about me."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, laughing at the thought.

"Come on, Bon! You know I'm not all bad. A little twisted who knows my way around sharp objects – sure, but who doesn't?"

He patted the seat next to him.

"Ask me anything, do your worst."

A part of her told her to head for door, but she was grateful for the distraction, and her curiosity was eating away at her causing her to sit instead.

"Were you always a killer?"

"No," he smirked.

"I mean, did you always have those thoughts, about your family – or in general? Was it something that got worse as you got older?"

He looked away and took a deep breath before looking back into her eyes.

"Yes and no. No, I didn't always have these thoughts but yes they got worse as I got older and realized the truth behind my coven, and my birthright."

She stared at him hoping he would continue on his own.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes," she answered determined.

He blew out a breath. "Okay. I never had thoughts of killing anyone when I was young, but I always knew I was different. I didn't get along with people the same, couldn't fit in or do things like the others – like my sister – which made me stick out, especially to my father."

He clenched his hands together, seemingly stuck in a memory.

"He could be such a dick," he smiled. "No matter what I tried I just wasn't good enough; I was the freak of the family who devoured magic rather than give the world my own. As I got older my resentment towards my coven, and myself for not being normal festered until his rotten thoughts started to blend with my own."

He got up off the couch and walked over to the window looking outside.

"I think I pushed myself away from anyone who knew what was wrong with me in hopes it would make me forget, but it backfired."

He stayed looking out the window.

"My parents had another set of twins and after that everything changed. I couldn't… control this rage inside of me, couldn't stop hearing my father's voice."

He chuckled a sad, soft sound.

"I tried for _years_ to find a way around his harsh words, my broken fate, escape the inevitable doom I was headed towards the closer I got to 22. I really tried to find another way."

He looked up at the sky and inhaled deeply before turning and walking back to the couch to sit beside her.

"My father was going to kill me." It rolled off his tongue like any other sentence but you could see the cold darkness in his eyes recalling the memory.

"On May 9th," he smiled "my perpetual day of Hell."

"No –"she breathed, not understanding.

"Mm," he said with a nod of his head. "Mr. Almighty Coven Leader himself always said – coven before blood – and it was no exception if you were one of his own, especially the disgraced black sheep."

"I overheard him," he continued clearing his throat, "the morning of in his study, talking to who was better known as his second in command, the one he confided to in his more ruthless actions."

She shivered as she imagined Kai living in this state of mind, trying to be good, and still having his family tear him apart from within.

"He told him that they had a monster in the coven that was going to destroy them all, and he had to be stopped before he got the chance. He said I would always be this evil _thing_ and that it was out of my control."

He looked up and into her eyes.

"He told him I was dead the moment the other set of twins were born. He was going to kill me, so I killed his only beacon of hope. I couldn't end his life seeing how it would kill me and everyone else, but I could do what he loved doing to me every chance he got; teach him a lesson. I knew his coven meant more to him than a family ever could - but you can't have a Gemini coven without a family, and you can't be a leader without a coven."

She sat there frozen, her mind too consumed with all of this new information about the monster she thought she had a pretty good handle on. She looked over his features and wondered how he made it so many years having someone else's perspective cloud his own until you can't see through it anymore. He looked back at her and their eyes locked, neither wavering. He had the soft features of a young 17 year old boy but she could see the decades of life and torment he's had to endure in his eyes.

"I let the way my father thinks of me dictate my thoughts and actions for too long. It wasn't until after, that I realized I don't want to be normal. Normal people die, they do nothing extraordinary, and _I am_ extraordinary. I can do things normal people only dream of with power that they couldn't even imagine. _I like me_ ; it just took me years and a few bad decisions to figure it out."

She wasn't sure how long she sat there staring at him in utter silence, trying to sort through what she's just been told in comparison to how she's viewed him as a person the past month. She honestly could not admit to herself if this information made this whole situation they are in better or worse for her. _Do I want to breathe easier when he's around? Do I want to see him as a person and not a monster? Does this make living with him easier or more difficult?!_

"Bonnie?" he asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Say something."

"I –"what is there to say? ' _Oh.' 'That's tough.' 'I didn't know.' 'I don't know how I feel about this!'_ "I'm sorry."

His gaze softened, the knot between his brow that she didn't notice was there suddenly disappearing. He looked around the room and let on a long breath, eyes settling back on her with a smile so genuine her breath caught in her throat.

"I know this is cheesy and it's in every movie – but I never told anyone this before."

She looked down with a small smile on the side of her mouth.

"You're right, that is really cheesy. But no one's ever said it to me before so I think you get a pass."

He laughed and it almost sounded lighter, like it wasn't weighed down by so many dark secrets.

A thought still itched at the back of her mind.

"So knowing what you do now, if you could go back to 1994 would you do anything differently?"

"Honestly? No. I lived in that house for 22 years and I knew it was going to end badly for me before I aced my first spell. I grew up in a world where it's _kill or be killed_ , and I'm a survivor."

As much as she hated to admit it, she could see where he was coming from. If she grew up in a world where it's _survival of the fittest_ style and the most powerful make it out alive, she'd be lying if she said she wouldn't give it her all as well.

"See? Not all bad once you start peeling back the layers, which I plan on doing to you too," he remarked, undressing her with his eyes as he trailed her up and down.

"In your dreams," she smiled sweetly.

"Yours too," he shot back, feigning innocence.

She shook her head and stood up, not knowing where she wanted to go but feeling like she needed to be in movement.

He looked up at her with an amused expression.

"So," she asked casually, "what's for dinner?"


	10. Chapter 10

A few hours and 3 corn dogs with a bowl of mac and cheese later, Bonnie was so full she could hardly keep her eyes open. She felt like an oompa loompa trudging her feet down the hallway to her bedroom and hoped it was only a few more steps away. She felt like Kai was around her the entire day – which seeing how she technically never got any sleep and he was making her sandwiches at 4 in the morning _he was_ with her for most of the day. They ate dinner together and talked about mindless chatter, in reality both of their thoughts were on the conversation they had earlier, and he slipped away to take a shower and never came back down. She knew it couldn't have been that late, must be before midnight, but there was nothing stopping her from collapsing on that bed. She turned the corner and stopped mid-step, realizing her mistake for the second time.

"Seriously?" she mumbled to herself, once again in the same hall that Damon's room is located in.

Bonnie glanced at his door then the one to the right of it, where she's been sleeping the past couple nights and headed in that general direction. She stopped in between both doors, glancing from left to right. If she chose what was being door number 1 she was certain she'd get a restful sleep with no nightmares, but the repercussions involve sharing a bed, snuggling, and possibly getting sleep siphoned. If she chose door number 2 she would most certainly have none of those repercussions but the chance of a nightmare jumps to about 85%. Bonnie sighed and rested her head against the door, hand on the knob for a solid minute before opening it. When she lifted her head to glance inside she saw no one and smiled to herself, heading straight for the bed. She jumped the last four feet and landed head first in the pillows, her body relaxing the moment it smelled the fresh sheets.

"Well isn't this a nice surprise," she heard from behind her and lifted her head to see Kai walking out of the bathroom in only a towel, dropping her head back down.

"Better than the surprise I just walked into," Bonnie mumbled with half her face pressed into the pillow. She heard him chuckle as he made his way over to the dresser, throwing the towel on her head before opening the drawer. "That's not – I don't," she reached over her head trying to yank the towel off her, very ungraceful in her tired state of mind.

"What was that?"

"I don't want that," she finished and heard the _smack_ against the floor.

"Do you want this?" His voice was right next to the bed.

"Kai!" she turned her head towards him and saw he was holding an extra T-shirt, "Oh, no thanks."

"I do believe you are blushing," Kai mused rounding the bed to his side and pulling back the covers. "Get up for a sec."

Kai tugged the sheets attempting to pull them out from under her but neither would budge. He walked back around to her side and lifted her up and over his shoulder.

"What –"he held onto her with one hand and pulled back the sheet with the other, gently placing her back down.

"Now was that so hard?"

Bonnie couldn't even hear what he was saying when the sheets felt this soft, cuddling up closer to the pillows towards the middle of the bed and blindly reached for the covers at her feet. The bed sank underneath her then the covers were up near her shoulders and body heat was radiating in front of her, opening her eyes and glanced up finding him staring back down at her. She raised her eyebrows in surprise and he smiled, settling in even closer.

"Were you sleeping?"

"No?" she answered confused. "When would I have gotten the chance?"

"I don't know, that's why I was curious." Kai locked one of his legs between hers. "This is the first time you've come in here without having a nightmare first."

She kept her eyes closed but she could feel the close proximity his face was to hers, the light tone he used as he subtly got closer.

"Your feet are freezing," she remarked not too sure how to respond to something he wasn't entirely incorrect over.

"Warm them up," he suggested, slowly moving his feet over hers.

"Too cold," Bonnie shivered, the chill going straight up her spine. With his arms also under the blankets he reached over her waist and rested his hand against her back, pulling her closer.

"Better?" he asked a breath away from her face.

"Hell no," she retorted, knowing there was no way out of this position.

She heard a quick laugh through his smirk then took a deep breath and started to relax into the mattress. She laid there for a few minutes, both of them drifting off to sleep before she spoke.

"Kai?"

"Hm?"

"I'm still afraid of you."

Hugging her closer and resting his cheek on hers, he breathed out, " _Don't be_."

-x—x—x—x—x—x-

Bonnie hated to admit it but sleeping in the same bed as Kai was better than she ever could have anticipated. She felt more rested and relaxed each morning and was starting to feel somewhat at ease when she crawled into it the night before. Not to mention the best part of all; having the knowledge and comfort of someone near her drove the dreams away deep into her subconscious where they couldn't reach her. This was going on her third night in a row getting settled in his bed and Kai was not letting her forget it.

"You know what they say after three dates, Bon," he winked, barely containing his glee at seeing her squirm under his scrutiny.

"Dates? More like, I don't want to dream about getting sucked into the darkness and deal with one of your many moods so I'm sleeping here."

"Details," he remarked with a wave of his hand. "And the last I heard it sounded like you were starting to have _good_ dreams, excellent dreams if what my mind conjured up is anything close to your fantasy."

" _So_ not a fantasy of mine, Kai."

"No? What would you call it? Your mind is playing out scenarios that have not happened that you want to happen and your dreams are making them come true. But you know," he settled in next to her and rolled to his side, leaning in close to her whispering, "All you have to do is ask."

"I wish I could be anywhere else right now," Bonnie sighed, rolling around to face the other direction. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against his chest.

"But you chose to be here. Is this where the sex scene played out?"

"There was no sex! No way in Hell."

"Good thing we're only in a prison world, we'll have to save the good stuff for when you're awake."

"You are relentless,"

"Absolutely," she heard through his smile as he nuzzled into her hair. She could feel his breath against her neck causing goosebumps to break out all over her body. The more time she spent in Kai's bed the more attuned she became to the little things he did; like the way he mindlessly rubs her arm before passing out, that he holds her tighter when his body relaxes, and the way he'll press his forehead, nose, and cheek to her skin but not his lips. _What's that about?_

"I think I'm going to sleep in my room tomorrow. I haven't had any nightmares in a few days and they were starting to subside before anyway so I think I'm in the clear."

"That is because I am excellent at keeping the big bad's away, but with recurring dreams you never know. It could come back stronger, or a different version or a different dream altogether."

She thought about that for a moment, staring at the leather chair in front of her before answering.

"Did your dream ever change?" Kai's arm tensed around her and his chest felt like one big muscle. She took a deep breath and let it out, waiting for him to answer, and noticed she didn't feel the rise and fall of his chest. Bonnie turned back to face him and his carefree smile was dimmed by a darker memory floating around his eyes. She could see him working to stay in a light mood – it didn't seem to be working. "What else did you dream about?"

"It was a long time ago."

"I know you remember."

"They were just bad dreams. I made it out of them."

"How?"

"He smiled softly out of the side of his mouth. "I'm a survivor."

For whatever reason, she could have sworn she felt a pang in her chest. Is that sympathy, for Kai, _and his past?_ A part of her wanted to throw up, while the other kept pushing for answers.

"Tell me."

Kai glanced down at her, their faces in a very close proximity and smiled. "This whole spilling your guts thing and letting someone into your mind is a really weird and uncomfortable situation I've never come across in my life. I don't understand how this keeps happening. What are you doing?"

Bonnie shrugged, not having a clue what she was doing or why she kept wanting to hear more, to know him better, to see the side of him he's showed her almost every day since Damon left.

"I'm interested. Don't ask me why because I have absolutely no idea but for whatever reason, I want to know more."

"Likewise," he smiled. "If I tell you my dreams will you tell me yours?"

Her heart raced at the thought of physically getting out the words and staring into her eyes as she did it. No part of her wanted to tell him what's been escalating in her mind but the curiosity of the person she used to consider a monster having nightmares of demons of his own was too delicious to pass out.

"Fine," she spit out grudgingly. "You first."

Kai's face broke into a smile from ear to ear before putting back on his impassive mask he got when he thought about his childhood and coven and blew out a breath.

"A year," he said with a tone of finality and she waited a couple beats before speaking.

"What was a year?"

"The nightmares, I had them from my 13th to 14th birthday."

"I thought you said you had the dreams about Jo and the merge for a few months?"

"I did, until I figured out how to beat it. Then they stopped, and the next one started up."

"How many did you have?"

"Enough," he closed his eyes, the deep worry line in between his eyebrows visible.

"What were they about?"

Kai opened his eyes and looked into hers, his blue eyes blazing under his intense stare.

"Me dying, for the most part. Always, really - just different ways and different people doing the job." He gritted his teeth. "My father was my last one and let me tell you that was a difficult man to shake. I think I spent almost five months in that dream, it's a miracle to everyone in the coven I didn't kill him just to stop the dreams. I couldn't prove it, obviously, but I still think he was the reason behind the nightmares. I was the only one that ever got them and they were a year to the day, seems pretty magical to me. Plus, the few times I brought them up to him he'd cast me down and say it didn't matter, there were more important things to worry about." He laughed seeming to recall a memory. "I guess he was right about that."

Nightmares… _for a year?_ Bonnie has been having them on and off for two weeks and she was ready to throw in the towel after the first few days. Being trapped in a nightmare feels like you never actually get any sleep and you're on red alert coated in anxiety the entire time. She tried to put herself in his shoes to see how it would be to live in the Gemini coven, with that lifestyle, while having mind-crushing nightmares about being killed _for months on end_ and wondered how she would have turned out _._ She shivered at the thought and he pulled her closer.

"I-"Bonnie hesitated, "t-thank you, for telling me this stuff. I mean you're still a sociopath who needs to be kept at arm's length but all this makes you seem, I don't know, more human."

"Oh I'm all human, baby," he snickered and she could feel the vibrations in her chest, "and technically I wouldn't call this arm's length," he demonstrated by pulling her flush against his body. "But you're welcome."

"O-kay," she pressed her palms in between them against his ribs and tried to push herself backwards. "Too close."

"No such thing!" Kai replied with a cocky smile. "Anyway, you were just about to tell me about your dreams."

Bonnie stopped pushing, momentarily seized by the realization she'll have to tell him the same thing that her mind is trying to tell her, and she didn't want to deal with either. "You know, it's late, we really should get some sleep."

"Oh come on, Bon! I'm dying over here. I won't even say anything after we can go right to sleep."

A skeptical look splashed across her features but his eyes stayed on hers. She knew he was lying, he would tease and torment her over this for days or _months_ to come but for a reason she couldn't put her finger on, a part of her wanted to tell him.

"Okay, before you go having any wet dreams of all the sex you think we were having, you can shut that down right away. There's no way I would sleep with you Kai, even in my dreams, but… we kissed," she rolled her eyes and tried to avoid his. "One kiss, as we were getting shipped off to Mystic Falls and an overwhelming sense of joy was in the air. It was like pheromones, completely helpless to it. And it was quick and then it was over. You were alright."

It's a shock his smile fit on his face. "We kissed, not I kissed you? Oh that's very interesting to hear, that means you were into it too. How did it end, did it escalate and you're leaving out all the juicy details?"

"No, we got what we went there for and got teleported out of there."

"Ah, so it didn't have the chance to escalate, I see," he said with a nod, his shit-eating grin still in her face.

"It wouldn't have Kai, trust me. I was trying to push you away the whole time."

"Mm, as I'm sure it would really go, but if you gave me another minute I think I could've changed your mind, seen the better side of things."

"You are incessant," she responded with a scoff. "Trust me, that's as far as you'll be going in any dream or prison world I find myself in.

"Agree to disagree," Kai shrugged, his eyes gleaming with this new information that seemed to wipe out the anger she saw minutes before. He fell onto his back and pulled her over until she was leaning against the side of his chest, her hand not knowing where to go and not wanting to rest on his stomach. He threw his other arm over his eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to sleep, like I told you I would." He gave her a small squeeze. "Goodnight."

Bonnie kept her head and hand off of him, frozen in an uncomfortable position trying to come up with a plan B for the sleeping arrangement. After a full minute in that spot with a kink starting to form in her neck, she slowly put her head down against his chest and heard the heavy beating of his heart.

"Hm, human after all I guess."

Kai's laugh was genuine and it made the tension slip from her shoulders, her arm lying on top of his stomach. She was asleep before her next breath.


	11. Chapter 11

Bonnie was sticking to her guns tonight, determined and motivated to prove to herself she was right and Kai was wrong; she doesn't need him, especially when it comes to keeping away the monsters. A few weeks ago she would have said with absolute certainty that Kai was the monster that should be feared and destroyed, and although he still was a dark and twisted person who was put in this prison world for a reason, she'll give him credit for opening up her mind and perspective on him. Not as evil, but definitely still a threat.

"What'cha doing?" Kai leaned against the opening of the door.

"What does it look like? Getting ready for bed," Bonnie went back to smoothing out the clean sheets and throwing the comforter over it, then started in on the pillow cases.

"Ah, okay, just checking," he remarked, pushing off the door frame.

"What, no sarcastic comments, innuendos, not even a ' _you aren't sleeping with me tonight_ '?" she jostled and his dazzling smile could really get under her skin.

"You aren't the only one who wants to see how the rest of your dream plays out," he backed away and was out of sight from the door, popping his head back in.

"And who's to say I won't be sleeping with you tonight?" he winked, and then he was gone.

Bonnie stared at the doors, eyes wide, waiting for him to appear again. After a moment passed she let out a deep breath, trying to shake her head of all the thoughts swarming around her mind but they just kept coming. _What kind of dream will I have tonight? Will I be sucked into the darkness and trapped here forever? Will I try to kill Kai to survive and get into a stabbing match? Will I decide to take him... and let him take me?_ She let out a nervous shaky laugh, punching the pillows to fluff them up the way she likes. She went through her dream scenarios up until now and didn't know what was more tormenting; letting the darkness get her, or letting Kai. In many aspects they are the same, dark and dangerous and not knowing what to expect or feel when it consumes you. Both give her a sharp sense of awareness with the prickling of fear like the hairs standing up on the back of your neck, but while the darkness fills her with dread Kai hits her with a compelling force that overwhelms her.

Doing all of her nighttime duties her mind wandered and ended up back in bed ten minutes later, getting herself comfortable and turning off the light beside her. As Bonnie settled in her thoughts drifted to Kai's nightmares and everything he told her about them the night before; wondering if his father really did put him through all of that or if Kai just hated him that much that he assumed it, but from all the information she's gathered on him so far it doesn't seem like something she would put past him. Bonnie had always assumed Malachai Parker was born evil; his darkness was coated in blood and got more maniacal as he got older until his coven had no other choice but to lock him away from being such a danger to society. Now she wondered if it was possible that he was born like so many others - normal, but different; and that factor impacted the fate of his life. Maybe the evil was the bloodline he was born into and they bent and twisted him until he snapped; is it possible that his evil wasn't born, but created? She replayed the last question over and over until she drifted off to sleep.

 _"What do I expect from a house built in the 1800s?" I glanced at the countless ugly pieces of artwork aligning the walls, taking my pick at which is the most hideous and making a note to make a hundred copies and flood Damon's room with them when I get out of here. Turning the corner I ran my fingers along the wall aimlessly killing time and took a left expecting to find the stairs when I'm hit with another hallway._

 _"Wait," I vocalize, "this can't be right."_

 _Looking behind me I see an endless hall leading into a dark vortex – one that is approaching me at a rapid pace and_ _gasp stumbling back a step, gaining my senses and taking off in the opposite direction. I floor it around the corner and skid to a halt – dark shadows frantically swarming around each other getting closer to me with each bulb that blows out. I look back behind me at a vast emptiness and back in front towards a spiraling of black smoke and catch a glimpse of something within it._ _Holding my breath, I compel my legs to push me forward until I'm less than a foot away from the smoke, squinting to try and see through it. Before losing my nerve I thrust my hand forward into the smoke and watch as it clears around my fingers leaving it untouched. After a moment I see a figure standing a few feet in front of me, his hand outstretched towards mine. Closing my eyes I put my hand in his and take one step forward – directly into Kai. He grips my hand and turns, leading me deeper into the smoke. After a few moments I start to feel a flutter of panic that I shouldn't have followed him when we walk into a clearing right in front of the opening to the cave._

 _"Great," I mumble heading straight into the cave and into the circle of light. I turn and see Kai is right behind me, knife and ascendant now in his hands and gestures for me to take the knife. I look into his eyes for a beat, trying to read his intentions, and snatch the blade out of his hand before slicing my palm and spilling it over the ascendant in his other. I hold onto his wrist and glance up, seeing how close I am to the eclipse and look back down at him._ _"Are you sure I can trust you?"_

 _He nods slowly and his smile looks like one of a six year old; eager and unguarded and so trusting it makes my heart thud heavily in my chest. I let out a shaky breath and drop my head to the ascendant, close my eyes, and start in on the first verse. I can feel the energy getting stronger with each passing word; my magic mixing with the power of the ascendant until it feels like everything around me is spinning, while me, Kai, and what connects us is the only thing grounded in this world. The wind overhead picks up as I start in on the next verse and get hit with a wave of vertigo so strong my knees give out from underneath me. Kai grabs me around the waist and pulls me into him, keeping us both within the circle. I let out a few deep breaths, the spinning and close proximity to Kai mixing into an overwhelming sensation that makes my vision blur. I grip the front of his shirt for support and look up at the almost completely eclipsed sun and land directly onto his lips._

 _I heard the ticking and the whirring of the ascendant as my shocked gasp was covered up by his moan and every thought and sensation I felt was on overdrive. My thoughts hit me in flashes; his lips, the whirring signaling the end of the spell, the dizziness and the possibility of Kai being back in present day. He deepened the kiss and the flashes sped up until it was one constant blur and I reacted on pure instinct. Rearing my arms back and evening out my stance I pushed full force against Kai's chest and he stumbled backwards out of the circle, pulling me with him. Our kiss broke and I let go of his shirt to catch my balance. He looked quickly at me then over to the circle of light disappearing from sight momentarily and coming back into view, letting them both know they missed their chance._

 _"What did you do?" he demanded, his joyful smile quickly turning sinister._

 _"What I want to do." Honestly I was still trying to sort out all of my thoughts and wondering how I could have landed in this situation, still trapped, with him._ _He stalked towards me and I backed up, almost tripping over one of the rocks. "Wait," I said, throwing one of my hands out. A few more steps and my back would be against the wall._

 _Kai slowed to a stop a good five feet away from me and stared me down._ _It's strange to say, but his eyes turned into a deeper shade of blue that drew you in instantly when his intense stare turned angry. He took a step towards me, and then another, his eyes never leaving mine. I felt my heart rate pick up and go straight to my throat, causing me to let out small gasps of breath. My stomach fluttered and twisted to an almost painful degree as I watched him close in like he was a predator and I was his prey._

 _"Stop," I whispered, my hand going to my throat and taking a step back._

 _His eyes squinted as he cocked his head slightly. He was still holding the ascendant._ _"Tell me why."_

 _"I – can't." I stuttered "I don't –"I tried to take another step back and made full contact with the caves wall._

 _I felt an icy sense of panic crawling up my spine as I looked to both sides for another escape route and saw his arms land on either side of my head with his hands pressed to the wall, caging me in. He left the ascendant on a rock beside us._ _I avoided his gaze the best way I knew how when he took up 90% of my sight; I looked down._ _I could hear his breathing get heavier with each passing moment I ignored his stare and his questions. He trailed his arms down lower until they were near my forearms and ducked his head until he was eye level._

 _"Bonnie, look at me."_

 _I shook my head and let out a deep exhale. I felt an overwhelming sense of adrenaline so strong my body started to shake from all the pent up energy. I didn't know what was happening to me – what was coming over me. Is this fear, do I feel like I'm in danger?_ _I lifted my eyes into a look of intensity so strong I felt myself waver, my hand reaching out to his chest to catch my balance. A low growl came from the back of his throat and then his body was pressed against me, his lips on mine._

 _I felt every neuron in my body firing, tingling all over as my heart beat so erratically I couldn't catch my breath. He wrapped one arm around my back and lifted me, stepping in between my legs as his other hand got tangled in my hair. I wrapped my legs around him and pressed into him harder, my body responding to what my brain couldn't yet comprehend. I moaned into his mouth as he pushed me back against the wall with a small thud feeling lightheaded from the lack of oxygen and ripped my lips away from his, my head falling back as his went to my neck._

 _"Why are we still here?" he panted out between breaths._

 _"Because – I want –"my chest heaved as I tried to calm down my ragged breathing. "This is your prison Kai, you're a monster and you're stuck here."_ _Growling he gripped my wrists pulling them over my head, followed by a sharp pain. "Ah!" I gasped, trying to break free from his grasp. "Stop it!"_

 _"You're lying." Kai said through clenched teeth, pressing down harder and another sharp pang jolted through me._

 _I was completely immobile; his body had mine under siege. Then a thought hit me._

 _"Mot-"his lips crushed against mine, bruising me with vehement force._

 _A shock of pleasure went straight down my spine into my toes, curling even more around his legs. Letting go of my wrists Kai trailed his hands down my arms leaving goosebumps in its path and slowly made his way down my body until he landed at the bottom of my shirt, in one quick motion breaking the kiss to pull it over my head and was back on me._ _I felt like I was on fire, my body shaking as his fingertips trailed across my stomach and ribs, roaming aimlessly but leaving me tingling everywhere he touched. I wanted more. I dropped my hands to grip the fabric in my hands._

 _"Take this off," I murmured while my lips were still against his._

 _Laughing into the kiss he did the same quick motion of losing an article of clothing before my very eyes. Gently running my nails down his back in a slow motion I listened to his breath catch and shoulders shake as he ran his hands under my thighs and gripped them._

 _"Bonnie," he said through a harsh breath, spiking my pheromones up to an outrageous level. My hands traveled up and gripped his hair on both sides, using the leverage to push myself into him._ _Kai reached for my hips and wrapped his hands around the top of my jeans, his fingers digging into my skin and pulled his head back to look at my face. "Why did you do that?"_

 _"Because I can't let you leave."_

 _Unwrapping my legs and dropping me to the ground, Kai yanked down my bottoms and unbuckled his belt in one quick motion. With his pants still on he picked me up and slammed me back into the wall as my breath left me in a grunt. He sighed and rolled his hips into mine, letting me feel exactly ow big and hard he was making me gasp and he did it again, an excited moan escaping my lips._ _His eyes flashed with hunger as his arms tightened around me and I could feel every aching muscle of his pressed firmly against mine and yet it wasn't close enough. I let out a sound of frustration and dropped my hands in between us, trying to put enough distance between our chests to unzip his pants and rip them down._

 _Kai looked down then slowly back into my eyes, the sinister smile doing nothing compared to the look reflected in his irises. I tried to swallow and the lump got stuck in my throat, my breath coming out as a burst of air as his hand trailed down between my legs and groaned as he touched me, finding me already wet and ready for him. His other hand clenched around my hip as I let out small gasps of pleasure._

 _"More," I breathed out, my body taking control over my thoughts._

 _Kai put his other hand around my hip and leaned back to thrust forward, filling me to the hilt in one movement, causing me to_ _let out a strangled noise as my nails dug into his shoulders trying to lift myself up from the sudden impact. He stayed frozen in place, his only movements being the gusts of breath against the hairs around my neck and his blue eyes were fierce on my face as he rested his forehead against mine._

 _"Are you okay?" his voice came out rough and laced with desire, sending a warm flurry racing underneath my skin._

 _"Yes," I said through my teeth, leaning back against the cave and trailing my nails down his chest._

 _One of his hands trailed up and cupped my breast, kneading and sending shocks throughout my body causing everything to clench up. Letting out a harsh breath his other arm lifted me into a deft roll of his hips as pleasure radiated through me, my nipples hardening even farther._ _Kai's hand left my breast and reached for a fist full of hair, locking me in his hold and pinned me tightly thrusting forward, each time harder than the last and spilling out whispers of 'feels so good.. have to have you.. need more..'_

 _My core clenched as he and the rasp of his voice hit the same spot deep inside me, shameless moans spilling out of me and my_ _nails raked sharply down his back from shoulders to hip. Arching into my rough caress with a low growl Kai's face flushed and lips parted as his hand reached down to rub my clit and a flush of heat misted over my body, causing me to sink even farther onto him until there was that touch of soreness deep inside._

 _I tried to breathe in gasps of air, the pleasure overloading my senses as my vision started to get hazy from being lightheaded and he_ _cursed grinding his hips against mine, surging into me with powerful lunges; his abs tightening every time I took in every inch of him. I felt my orgasm barreling down on me like a freight train, my body shaking and tightening in anticipation._

 _"Why did you keep us here?" Kai huffed out between breaths._

 _"Shut up," I closed my eyes and leaned my head back_ _, hearing the growl in his chest and thrust hard up into me, jerking my eyes open and head back down into his line of view._

 _"Why?" he demanded, leaning in to give me a rough kiss and biting my bottom lip._

 _I could hear the blood starting to surge in my ears, my breath coming out in pants as Kai purposely held off my release. Instinct took over, my hips pushing to get more friction, my thighs clenching and releasing as I looked into Kai's nearly blacked out eyes from his pupils._

 _"I need – to know," he said through gritted teeth, looking desperately too close to finishing but trying to hold on._

 _He reached for my arms and pushed them above my head, shocks of pain coated in pleasure shooting out of my fingers and toes._

 _"I want you," I gasped, all the sensations too much to feel at once. "I need you, all to myself."_

 _Kai laughed through a groan and dropped his head to my shoulder, pumping hard and fast until I screamed out, my hands wrapping around his_ _causing him to shudder and follow right after, his embrace so tight I could hardly breathe. Our harsh exhalations were the only noises I could hear echoing throughout the cave; his hands leaving our interlocked position above my head and roaming aimlessly around my body, caressing everywhere. Burying his face in the side of my neck I breathed deeply, lost in the moment for another minute or two. When he lifted his face his cheeks were flushed, lips were bruised, and eyes were dark. His lazy smile looked my face over and left a trail of small kisses until he landed back on my lips._

 _"I need you too, Bon."_


	12. Chapter 12

Bonnie spent the entirely of the next day making mental lists in her room; well not so much her room, but every room of the house. In an attempt to avoid Kai and not have him find her, she would spend about an hour in one spot before finding another in a different corridor of the house. Her hair would stand on end every time she'd push herself to a side of the wall and run on tip toes until finding her next destination. After a few tries Bonnie started to have some fun with it; changing her outfit to all black and putting on a scarf to cover her mouth and nose, feeling very ninja-like with moves to back it up and ready to take down anyone who comes across her.

Now Bonnie found herself lying on Stefan's bed, staring at the ceiling as she went through her new list of things that cannot happen and at the top of the list was no touching, whatsoever. Just the thought of Kai drifting his fingers down her arm or snaking his arm around her stomach sent heat waves across her body, her brain firing out images to add to the effect. She played out a scenario of them asleep and feeling Kai's touch trailing across her skin, gentleness mixed with that tinge of electricity she felt when he was sleep siphoning her and suddenly she's on top of him, hips grinding into his as she fists his hair in both hands.

Groaning a frustrated noise shaking her head Bonnie leaned up swinging her legs off the mattress to keep her mind on the topic and the action brought her onto the next rule on the list; no more sleeping in his bed. Now as much as she'd like to laugh it off that it won't be a problem and what a relief it'll be to not have to deal with that – she'd just be lying to herself. Without realizing Kai crept up under her skin and made himself comfortable, inevitably making her feel the same around him. Instead of that flare of panic and detest she used to feel in his presence, now it's more of a distaste. His incessant chatter doesn't seem so annoying anymore, or his need to be around her and bother her which used to drive her up a wall, even him being in close proximity's doesn't fill her with the emotions it once did. _What the hell is happening to me?_

Getting off the bed she made her way to Stefan's bookshelf, touching the spines as she went across the titles. Even though they have a massive library in their house Stefan was always buying books of his own – first editions – and keeping them safe and sound in his own little collection. Stefan had all the classics that you could get lost in and on the bottom shelves were his diaries. Bonnie had never really gotten into writing diaries herself; she, Caroline and Elena used to always have the small notebooks with the little lockets attached when they were kids but she never knew what to write and would end up doodling and drawing pictures instead. She bent down to pick one up when she heard a door close in the same hallway, jerking her back up and tiptoed over to the wall hitting the switch, breathing slowly as she watched the light under the door. The other door opened again and a shadow appeared hazy then got darker the closer he got until it almost fully encased the light outside. After a moment the shadow wavered and descended back into the hallway until it disappeared.

Letting out a deep shaky breath she hit the switch back on and took a moment to wonder what in the world she was doing. This is Kai Parker, the sociopath-child-hybrid that she's spent the last month of her life with; the one who shot an arrow through her chest and made her time here more complicated, but is somehow the same person who's making her home cooked meals every night. The same one who can painfully steal her magic anytime he pleases, but is sleeping snuggled up next to her every other night. _It just doesn't make sense!_ Bonnie thought as she threw the book against the bed and paced around the room for another moment before heading to the door for a new destination. She took on her same tactic of gliding across the walls with her fingertips until she got to the end of the hallway, looked both ways, then started off to the right.

"What – are you wearing?" Bonnie froze mid-step and dropped her arms, turning around. Kai looked amused with his wide smile as he raked her over and she glanced down at her black leather jacket, tight black jeans, and black boots. "I mean I'm not complaining."

Bonnie rolled her eyes, quickly yanking off the scarf from her face. "Nothing – I'm just – bored and trying to entertain myself."

"Well you definitely entertain me," he smiled. "Where have you been?"

"Here," she shrugged and turned back around heading in that direction.

"What a coincidence, so have I!" Kai mused as he jogged the few steps to be next to her and nudged her shoulder with his. "Come here often?"

Bonnie felt a spark at the contact and took a sharp inhale, her eyes focused in front of her as she picked up the pace. "Yes, I'm actually trapped here in a prison world specifically made for someone twisted enough to need it."

"Ouch," he laughed, keeping in step with her as she turned to head downstairs. "Those prison worlds, tight spots to get out of but are possible given the right tools."

Kai leaned in close toward the end of the sentence and she almost tripped on one of the last steps. He reached out to grab her arm and waist to steady her. "You okay there Miss Graceful?"

Bonnie couldn't focus on his words over the tingling she was feeling where his hands were. She extended her arm out against his chest not-so-subtly pushing him away, continuing to look forward. "I'm fine."

Taking the last couple of steps she headed for the kitchen going straight for the fridge – an overwhelming sense of hunger bursting out of her now that she was within range of it and started pulling out everything. He walked in as she was putting the fourth container on the island.

"I would ask are you hungry but the 2 pounds of food kind of answers that, not to mention it being dinner time and this is the first time you're in here."

She glanced over at the clock blinking 7:45PM and back at the food. "I wasn't that hungry today."

"I can see that," he smirked, leaning against the counter and checking out what she picked.

"Want me to make you a plate?"

"No."

Bonnie's knee-jerk reaction of an answer had him looking back up at her quick, eyebrows drawn. "Why not?"

"Because I can make my own plate of food, thank you. I can also heat it up on my own, and even wash the plate after."

Cocking his head to the side he waited a moment before speaking. "What's going on right now?"

"I don't need you to baby me!" Bonnie snapped.

"I wasn't –"he started, then thought for a moment and laughed, standing back up. "Okay. Fair enough."

Exhaling deeply Bonnie threw stuff messily together on her plate. By the time everything was on it, it didn't look all that appetizing and the face of disgust Kai was displaying did not help her case. Slammed the microwave door closed she jabbed a button, turning to face him.

"Someone's a little worked up today."

"You don't say."

"Want to talk about?"

Bonnie looked into his eyes with an angry glare. "No, I don't."

"Did you have another nightmare?"

Before she had a moment to control it her subconscious was hitting her with images in flashes; his hands all over her, the weight of his body pressed against hers as he drove into her, his ragged breathing mixed with a raspy sex voice, her body feeling every sensation and wanting more – more –

"Did you have a good dream?" Kai drawled out after what must have been a length of time in silence.

Her eyes shot over to him, his smirk desperately wanting to break free and spun around to get her food, keeping her back to his and coming up with a plan B, C, and D for how to get out of this situation. If she tells him he hurt her again, he'll talk himself out of it, if she says nothing his mind will conjure up all kinds of scenarios that he'll talk about for an endless amount of time, even if she makes up a new dream she'll have to go off that story and still sleep in his room; and there was no way she was going to actually tell him.

"I um –"Bonnie hesitated, "No, actually, I slept great all night."

"Oh really?" he pressed. "What happened to the dream you've been having for the last two weeks?"

"Well," she cleared her throat, "like you said, some dreams will stop once you defeat them, or beat it, and I did when I did the spell correctly and got us out of here."

Kai thought about it for a moment, looking her face over. "Maybe it was the kiss," he shrugged.

Bonnie laughed at his casualness and started in on her food, "It wasn't, as I said before, you were only alright,"

Fake gasping he brought a hand up over his heart. "Oh, you wound me! And here I thought you wanted me for my brains."

"Your brain is what has set you off in your killing ways," she protested, fork pointed towards his head.

"So then it is my body?" His smirk broke into full on laughter when he caught her reaction. "Dreams are nothing compared to the real thing, you know."

Coughing through her sip of water it burned her throat and eyes watered as it trickled down the wrong pipe, and tried to breathe in.

"Lift your hands over your head."

Bonnie looked at him confused but did as he said, her lungs instantly filling up with oxygen and the burning slowly subsiding. "What was that?"

"Weird trick, right? Josette always told me to do it when I was younger, guess it stuck. You alright?"

"Yeah," she dropped her hands. "Just went down the wrong pipe. Anyway, since I don't seem to be having nightmares anymore I won't have to hog up all the bed so you can sleep easy."

"I'll sleep easier with you pressed up against me," he smirked.

"Nope," she uttered as a flash hit her and rounded the corner to her half-eaten plate, putting a piece of foil over it so she can have it later. Turning to the fridge she noticed Kai was standing in front of it and raised her eyebrows when he didn't move.

"You're just gonna use me for my warmth and cuddles then drop me like a bad habit?"

"Looks like it," she tried to walk around him but he side stepped her and looked down, his eyes slightly squinted.

"What did you really dream about?"

"Nothing, can you move?"" Bonnie tried to keep her voice strong as the close proximity had her hearing his heavy breathing and grunts. Kai stepped to the side, eyes still on her as she opened the door to put a moment of distance between them. When she closed it he was leaning against it on one shoulder, smiling down at her. "What?"

"I don't know," he laughed. "But I don't think I believe you. I've picked up on a few things about you over the months - can kind of tell when you're lying."

Bonnie's cheeks flushed from anger and being called out on her lie, glaring at him and trying to hold her ground. "I am not lying."

"But why would you need to lie?" he questioned out loud, not even hearing her. "What could you have dreamt about –hm."

Kai tapped his two fingers rhythmically against his lips and she scoffed, knowing if she listened to him play out scenarios she would unknowingly give something away.

"What's so hard to believe? I finally made it out of this Hell. Granted, I had to take the prisoner along with me but I escaped and that was what I was trying to accomplish from the start."

Bonnie's reasoning really did sound impeccable, she would have believed it herself to be true if not for this new sexcapade playing on a loop through her thoughts. He looked down at her, a skeptical look across Kai's features as his mind weighed between her dishonesty and information that's hard not to believe. Before he got a moment to answer she was backing out of the kitchen towards the hallway to the stairs.

"So while you're mulling that over, I'm going to continue my new dreamless nights of solitude. Goodnight!" she teetered and rounded the corner out of sight.


	13. Chapter 13

It had been a long night, to say the least, and the sun was only just coming out. After some deep thinking Bonnie came to the conclusion that she would avoid sleep and her sex ridden thoughts for as long as possible by pushing it to a place it can't reach her. She used to be a pro at staying up all night when she was younger; sleepovers with Elena and Caroline where they talk all night and keep each other on a hyper kick, no one wanting to be the first to fall asleep. A lot of things are easier to do when you have someone by your side doing it too, which just so happened to be why she was so comfortable in Kai's bed now.

Thanks to her series of unfortunate events, she can't sleep in Kai's bed without her dreams playing out in flashes and she can't sleep without him because who knows what she'll find herself in, and what "dream her" will make her question and realize about herself. Bonnie was really not in the mood to delve into this new side of her but it was like a force from within her trying to break free and making her question - is it really that new? Bonnie thinks back to the first day she met him; an overwhelming sense of confusion, satisfaction, and curiosity coursing through her veins as she replays him surrendering to her in a blaze of fire. She smiles to herself and hops off the bed, changing into comfortable clothes to wear for a walk in the woods replaying tying him up to a chair and how her and Damon thought he would be so intimidated by them – yeah, not so much.

Bonnie put on her shoes still lost in thought, having flashes of Kai leaning in close and staring into her eyes saying something about his siblings that she couldn't focus on, followed by her hand on his chest and his breath catching as the candles burned bright. Before learning that he was a sociopath who was imprisoned here for killing his own siblings, Bonnie could admit to herself that she felt some type of... spark, between them. An instant connection that she knows he felt just as strongly, but one he doesn't think she feels anymore which – given all the information, she really shouldn't.

"What are we doing today?"

Spinning around to finding Kai leaning against the door, she looked over his appearance of his usual dark cargo shorts, t-shirt and zip up hoodie. His outward appearance gives off one of boyish charm; one she knows more than well is very deceiving.

" _We_ are not going anywhere, I'm going for a walk," she pressed her body to the other side of the door frame and squeezed through the small space, attempting to avoid his touch.

"Ooh, an adventure?" he asked keeping in step with her as she turned down the stairs. "Sounds fun, let's go!" His cheerful attitude did not put her mind at ease.

"Kai, I-" _can't be around you right now, can't look at you, want you..._ "NO" she blurted, shaking her head. "I uh, just want to be alone... clear my head," she shrugged, opening the door and heading onto the porch.

"But I happen to know of a pretty nice spot that will let you do just that, and its close! Come on, I'll take you."

Bonnie leaned against one of the pews and looked over at him for the first time since he was in her doorway, noting his eager look as he bounced back and forth on the balls of his feet, his hands in his sweatshirt and squinted her eyes at his joyful look.

"And what are you so happy about on this lovely May 10th?"

"Oh I'm always happy Bon, it's you who could use a pick me up. But if you must know, I have a feeling you're going to tell me about your dream today."

"Yeah right," she scoffed under her breath, "since there was no dream, just like there was no dream last night. I'm cured. You actually managed to help me through a problem instead of being the cause of it."

Kai continued to stare at her, eyes sparking from the bright sun overhead as he took a step closer and she took one back feeling the bricks already against her back causing her to stand flat against it. There was still a foot of space in between them, leaning down to be eye level with her.

"I would be a little offended if I wasn't still a problem of yours."

Bonnie let out an involuntary laugh as memories flashed of their time here so far; his outbursts, siphoning her magic, hurting her, helping her, being a small form of comfort to her – and now thanks to her dream is turning into a _temptation_ to her.

"Oh, you have no idea." She looked out at the woods then back at Kai, wanting to tell him to go back inside but ever the curious a witch shall be. "What's this amazing secret spot? If it sounds good enough maybe you can come with me."

"Now where's the fun in that?" he smiled, leaning back and walking down the porch towards the side of the house.

"Where – are you going?" With no answer he turned the corner, causing her to physically groan in aggravation and trudge her feet in his direction. "If I've been here before, or if there is no place, this will be the last conversation we have today."

Kai looked back at her and smiled before venturing off farther away from the side of the house. After a minute or two he nodded in front of him. "Check it out."

Bonnie looked straight ahead at a cobblestone path leading towards an enormous stoned archway, vines and flowers cascading all around it and down the sides. Surrounded it was different types of flowers with colors everywhere and she ran her fingers through the archway seeing it led into an even bigger cobblestone-esque escape, the archway continuing down a long path with grass up to your knees with flowers and vines dangling through all of the open spaces. She couldn't believe this little piece of Heaven existed in a Hell such as this.

"You come here?"

"No," he laughed. "I walk _through_ here, to get to the real mystical spot. But I figured ' _hey, maybe you'd like this too._ '

"Mm yeah," she mumbled, "that would be an understatement. This isn't the peaceful place you were thinking? Because I think you lucked out, I'm totally content right now."

Leaning against the archway with her head back Bonnie closing her eyes. andcould hear the birds chirping, the smell of the flowers soothing her excessive thoughts and the feel of the grass around her legs giving her that surge of energy; nature at its finest. She opened her eyes, noticing how much more difficult it was and saw Kai standing close to her side.

"My place is paradise compared to this, and it's not that far of a walk. Are you up for it?"

Taking deep breath she contemplated falling asleep right here and now but the thought of another paradise right around the corner was too much to pass up and leaned off the archway with a huff starting down the path. They walked in silence for the five minutes it took to get there, Bonnie secretly grateful that she had these moments to shut out his presence completely. She could feel her eyes getting heavier and her movements getting more difficult to make the longer she went with nothing to distract her, her body becoming more aware of its tired state.

"It's just right over this rock," Kai gestured in front of them and hopped over it with ease, looking over at the five foot drop and knew she could easily jump and make it but her tired mind was a moment before her actions and that made things a little trickier. She sat on her butt and scooted off, landing with an awkward thud as his hands grabbed her waist for support; her senses heightened on instinct.

"Thanks," Bonnie said awkwardly moving out of his grasp.

Bonnie turned to his side to step away and almost walked straight into a river of water, her eyes trailing up farther until it was met with a waterfall directly overhead. A smile broke out across her face as she stepped closer looking at the beautiful scene in front of her. There was a small path on the left side that led to a wall of rocks that led all the way to the top. It wasn't a massive height, maybe 30-40 feet high with a deep natural looking pool.

"Wow," she breathed, taking a step too close and almost tripping over one of the small rocks into the water.

"Easy there," Kai pulled her back by the waist. "We aren't going in just yet. We have to get to our destination first."

Bonnie followed his finger to the top of the waterfall and shifted over to the rock wall leading from the top all the way down. "You're serious?"

"Yeah! Come on!" with a grand gesture of his hand he hopped on the heels of his feet and headed towards the rocks. When they reached them she had to put her hand over her eyes to shield them from the sun and looked up – up –

"I don't know," she breathed, suddenly feeling a little lightheaded. "It looks like a lot of work from this angle."

"It's a three minute climb, maybe. And then the real fun begins. Do you want me to go first so you can see where I'm stepping or listen to me from underneath you?"

The way he worded it had her mind blindside her with a flash of him grinding underneath her, causing Bonnie to let out a loud laugh and shaking her head.

"Under me - I mean underneath!" she said quickly, his smile quickly outgrowing its space left on his face.

"I'll get too dizzy if I'm looking up to see where you're stepping."

She blew past him and pressed her hands to the rocks, trying to get a feel of how she's going to make it all the way to the top and felt him come up behind her caging his arms around hers.

"Okay, it looks a little wild but it's not. You'll start to feel small indents for stepping stones all the way up and there are a lot of different angles to grab them from."

Bonnie listened to his voice as she made her way up, her adrenaline boosting up her heightened senses and pushing past the oncoming wave of exhaustion. Kai climbed up the rock right behind her, his hand usually landing on her calf to keep her grounded to the rock – and probably so she didn't fall on his head. Making it almost at the top the place she wanted to grab was just out of reach so she gave herself a slight push to propel forward but couldn't reach it then lost her footing on the way back. She let out a shriek as she hugged the rock and started sliding down to her death until she landed in a vise grip against Kai's chest. He managed to keep himself level on the rocks landing while pressing his body against hers to keep her from slipping.

"Anyone ever tell 'ya you have you butterfingers?" he asked against her ear, laughing out threw a wobbly breath, her hands slightly shaking against the rock. "You're alright, you're almost there," he cooed between her ear and temple. "I got you."

That seems to be the problem of the day, she thought to herself as she gained back her strength and pushed herself up the last eight feet. Kai followed up swiftly after then tilted back like he was going to fall.

"Kai!" she reached forward and pulled him into her, hearing his laughter through his chest a second later.

"Awh, Bonster you do care about me!" he laughed as she was trapped in his embrace and breathed him in, feeling her body relax before instinct had her arms locking in front of her to push him away.

"I don't need you falling to your death when I'm trapped up on a waterfall in the middle of the woods."

"Mhm, what an inconvenience that would be," he mused. He walked around her and covered her eyes with his hand, body pressed against her back.

"Kai-"she felt a flare of panic rise in her throat.

"You'll like this, just – step forward. I know, there's a waterfall in front of you so watch out for that. But just... one step."

Hesitatingly taking a step forward and tipping on positive that Kai was about to have her walk straight off the waterfall, she felt his arm snake around her stomach holding her in place. Moving his hand away she opened her eyes to an overwhelming sight; her eye level almost even with the tops of most of the smaller trees and could see the sun shining straight through towards her. Bonnie felt the rushing of water at her feet, the sound drowning out all of her surroundings and the absence of anything in front of her made her feel weightless; like she was flying. Breathing a surprised laugh as her hands drifted above her head lazily, she looked back out over the horizon and sighed a smile, forgetting this town could be so beautiful.

"Now for the fun part," Kai said against her ear before pulling her back a step and dropping his arm, pulling off his shirt and pants in one swift motion leaving him in just his black boxer briefs.

"See this is why we're really here, not for the beautiful scenery or pleasant feelings, but jumping off the waterfall; it's a rush."

Looking at him then back over the waterfall, it didn't seem to be too bad of a drop and if he comes here all the time, it must not be as terrifying as she's currently feeling. Taking a sharp exhale to get rid of the shakes, she took off her shirt and threw it at him.

"Hmm" he hummed in appreciation, grabbing her shirt along with his clothes and dropping them off the side where the rock is, landed with a small thud. Kai walked into the center and she followed staring back and forth between him, down there, and the open space in front of her.

"Ready?" he asked, holding out his hand and she stared at it, eyebrow cocked and he laughed dropping it back at his side. "Just thought you might have needed that extra push. Okay on three; one – two –"

Bonnie didn't wait for three, her adrenaline propelling her legs off the waterfall at full force and slowly drifting back down to Earth until she connected with the water. She stayed underwater, taking in its depth and how visible she can see before popping her head up and looked in front of her for Kai, then on either side of her spinning around in a circle quick, letting out a frustrated noise.

"I know you're screwing with me!" Bonnie felt his hands on her back and then was thrown across the air, landing closer to the waterfall, breaking the surface of the water feeling slightly shocked but couldn't help but smile. Scanning the water she caught sight of Kai as he swam slowly over to her, only his eyes and nose visible like an alligator as her heartbeat momentarily spiked, her thoughts starting to drift and dunked herself back under the water to shake them free. When she popped back up he was right next to her. "OH – my God Kai, you keep scaring the crap out of me."

"That's because you've been on edge," Kai said, lifting his mouth out of the water. "Come here, I want to show you something."

"Yeah that sounds... dangerous in a pool full of water."

Swimming over to one side of the waterfall he put his hand out in front of him and walked straight through it. Blinking a few times, she slowly swam over to where she saw him last, trying to look through the water and sighed, putting one hand against the wall on the side, held her breath and pushed herself forward until she was on the other side of the waterfall in a little cave.

"Cool, right?" Kai swam over to where she was and put his hand out to let the water hit it. "I love this spot."

Bonnie looked behind him at the quaint but decent sized cave, an open circle with the water cascading on one side and an icy wall on the other. She swam to the wall and noticed the water got shallower as she got closer until she could stand and the water stayed down near her stomach. Leaning back against the indent on the wall, her head fell back and closed her eyes. Hearing a light splashing Bonnie had a sense he was getting closer but before she could check his hands were resting on the wall near her stomach and his swaying legs kept brushing up against hers.

"So what is this dream that's been keeping you up?"

Groaning she refused to look at him and kept her head back. "Not this again. I haven't had any more of my recurring nightmare since the last one I told you about."

"Then why aren't you sleeping?" Kai questioned and she could hear the skepticism in his voice; it really irked her that he thought he knew her so well.

"I have been, I'm just trying to get back on a sleeping schedule. The last couple nights with you has thrown me off."

"Am I throwing you off right now?" Bonnie felt his lower half press into hers and felt a charge shoot up her chest to her throat. Her eyes shot open as she stared down into Kai's gaze staring back up at her – a dark look in his eyes.

"What are you doing?" Bonnie had to take a moment to consider the fact she could have fallen asleep and the dream picked up where she left off.

"I'm trying to get into your head, Bon, see what makes you tick," Kai pulled her leg slightly so she lost her balance in her seating, dropping her back down to eye level with the water up to her chest. "I want to know what you're keeping from me."

"You're – delusional –"she breathed, suddenly feeling so lightheaded she could hyperventilate surrounded by water. Bonnie scooted her butt so she wasn't at an angle and pushed herself to the side, hugging the wall. He followed her steps.

The intense look he is giving her as he stalks closer was the exact one he wore in her dream before he tackled her in his embrace, hearing his moans echoing through her skull and felt him holding her so tight she almost couldn't breathe; a sensation she was feeling now too strongly.

"Don't –"Bonnie panicked, trying to stay close to the wall to be near the shallow water but getting closer to the waterfall. She looked to the right at the water cascading down and was getting her nerve to jump through when he pulled her back by the forearm and pressed her into the wall.

"I know something is different," Kai breathed, his body pressed flush to hers. "You're different; a week ago you would have never let me get this close."

Bonnie's cheeks flushed red at his remark, gritting her teeth at how pathetically true it is. This is the same Kai Parker that she stabbed in the neck with a pen to escape from, and yet she can feel her skin sizzling at the close proximity to him. Her breathing quickening and heat flashes are rolling over her, both causing her to reach and grab his shoulder to steady herself from the dizziness. Kai let out a deep breath and tightened his grip, slowly rocking up into her once. The light tingling she felt from the lack of gravity in the water had her swallowing a moan that was begging to come out.

"Don't even think about it," she demanded, hands against his shoulders trying to push him back. "There is no way that this is happening."

"At least not while you're awake," Kai chuckled as she shot him a look filled with daggers.

"I think my brain is just fried from doing the same things, with the same person, every day, that's it's making up crazy never going to happen scenarios to keep me on edge."

Kai pulled her back into his embrace as she tried to swim away. "Maybe it's playing out _What If's_ that could happen depending what choices we made."

"Well then I'm doomed no matter what I decide to do."

Pulling her by the arm her body followed suite in the water until he had the side of her face cupped in his hand. "In that case, you should make it worth it."

With that one look of hunger in his eyes she could anticipate exactly what was going to happen and felt her own hunger bubbling inside. Acting on instinct she dove under the water, swimming straight out of the cave and didn't stop until she was out of breath. Breaking through the surface with a gasp, she looked around in the water before getting out and heading towards their clothes putting on her shirt and turned around to a soaking wet, almost naked man standing behind her, staring her down. His gaze trailed dpwn her body before coming back to rest on her eyes.

"Like I said, today's the day. The day is young, Bonnie Bennett."


	14. Chapter 14

By the time they got back to the house, the chill in the morning air mixed with her wet clothes and tired state brought a numbing feeling over her causing her mind to daydream and drift from her body. She stood in front of the fireplace watching the flames dance as Kai went off to find dry clothes. As her body warmed under the intense heat her thoughts followed its actions; carried away by Kai's hands gliding up her body with ease underneath the water and pulling her closer into him. She slid her hand up her stomach recalling his naked torso pressed firmly into hers, his muscles tightening as he held up her body against his own while keeping himself afloat. Her hand kept traveling up until it reached her throat, a flash of her breath catching when he gave her that same sexual look that sealed her fate in her dream.

She wondered what would have happened if her knee-jerk reaction wasn't to dive under the water, but lean into him – feel every inch of him pressing against her as he pushed her backwards against the wall, tearing off their clothes before driving into her – _could I have almost had sex with Kai in a cave?_

"Bonnie!" she felt his hands on her hips yank her backwards, away from a gust of smoke that blew out of the fireplace.

She blinked a few times to pull herself out of her daydream and saw the roaring flames spilling out from the top making its way up the wall. He spun her around in his grasp and she was looking back at a pair of equally confused eyes.

"What was that?"

"I don't-"she started, looking back at the rapidly descending flames until it was back to its normal size. "I was just daydreaming."

"About what?"

She looked back at him and noticed he changed into black sweatpants and a grey t-shirt and craved his look of comfort.

"Where are my clothes?"

He smiled and stepped out of the way towards the couch, holding up one of his black t-shirts and a pair of boxers that could pass as shorts.

"I'll ask again, where are _my_ clothes?"

"I couldn't find anything. Too much stuff, not enough comfort." He thrust the clothes into her hands.

"I did find these though," his cheekish smile was in full effect as he pulled a pair of her lacy red panties from his pocket.

She snatched it out of his hand.

"OH, but you have no problem riffling through my underwear drawer?!"

"Well yeah," he laughed. "I thought it was pretty considerate of me."

He continued his laughter as she threw his clothes at him.

"I'm starving I'm going to make myself some breakfast," he eyed her out of the corner of his eye. "Do you want me to make enough for both of us or are you making all of your own meals now?"

She gave him a blank expression, all of her thoughts telling him to shove his breakfast foods. But a small piece of her really didn't want to start cooking all the meals again, going over her checklist of meals that she would cook; arranging from cereal up to frozen foods.

He smirked at her lack of response, nodding once before leaving the room. She sighed and walked over to his clothes and picked them up, looking at the entrance to the hallway. She mentally saw herself going down the hall, up the stairs, down another hall, turning, and finding her room and just could not find the energy.

Knowing he wasn't coming back for a few she stripped off all of her wet clothes and quickly threw on her underwear, noticing a beat later that he didn't grab an extra bra. She looked back at the soaking wet one she was just wearing, contemplated, and threw on the t-shirt. She brushed it over her chest and looked down seeing if anything was visible but the dark fabric hid everything. She looked at the boxers and really questioned if she should make the trip upstairs, or if she could get away with not wearing either. She looked down at her bare legs all the way up to her thighs – _no, definitely not._ She pouted to herself and slowly put one leg in each, pulling them up and folding them 4 times over from how big they were. By the time they were tight around her waist they were only a little farther then the shirt, but they were something. She sat down on the couch and pulled the blanket around her that was thrown over the top. She snuggled up into it, the warmth flooding through her veins as she leaned to the side against the head rest. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

-x—x—x—x—x—

The sound of the TV flittered through her subconscious until it broke through, jerking her upright and almost sitting on Kai's lap. She gasped and pushed herself to the other end of the couch, watching him as he continued to flip through the channels.

"Hey, sleepy pants."

She rubbed her eyes trying to wake up her fevered mind.

"How long was I out for?"

"A couple hours, maybe three? It's only noon."

She got up and went into the kitchen to see what he ended up making and came back in a few minutes later with a plate of waffles covered in syrup, confectionery sugar, and cut up strawberries. She ate a bite and moaned in content.

"That's some good waffles," she mumbled through her mouthful.

"Home made with the waffle maker," he chirped. "Everything's better homemade. This house has an endless supply of cooking tools, which is kind of funny seeing how the Salvatore's haven't needed food to survive for over a hundred years."

"Waffle maker?" she laughed. "What's up with you and food?"

"I like to cook," he shrugged. "It's a nice distraction, entertaining, and it's something everyone should know the basics of. I just like to be the best in everything I do."

She rolled her eyes at his smirk, looking back down at her plate and devouring the last half of it. She put it on the coffee table in front of her, full and feeling more energized from the food and quick nap. They sat in silence for a few minutes but she could feel his eyes on her.

"What?" she glanced over and saw the mischief in his eyes, a slow smile spreading making her hairs stand on end.

"I have another idea."

"What are you talking about?"

He put down the remote and turned so one leg was bent on the couch. She pulled her legs in closer.

"You see, the waterfall was plan A – to be the nice guy, stroke your feelings and ask what you were dreaming about me, but I have a plan B."

"Wh-"she pushed herself completely against the arm rest, her mind not being able to process his words.

"I was thinking about it more, as you slept," he leaned up and towards her. "And I thought to myself ' _Kai, what better way to figure out the ending of a story, then to reenact it'_."

He sat up on his knee, dragging his right arm across the top of the couch and leaning up over her. She ducked through the small opening and took a few quick steps to the doorway, watching his eyes drift up to hers while his head was still down.

"And then I thought ' _Where would I begin? Where the dream always begins_!'"

He stood up and took slow and deliberate steps towards her. She walked backwards through the entryway to the next room and moved herself to the other side of the dining room table putting an object of distance between them. He stepped up and put his palms flat against the table.

"So why don't we pretend I'm the darkness, and I'm closing in on you, and if I catch you – _I win."_

His voice was low and her breath caught in her throat at the thought, causing her to take a step back which made him step forward. She kept stepping around the table until they were standing in opposite spots.

"Stop it, Kai." She tried to make herself sound stronger but it was a feeble attempt.

"Afraid of what'll happen if I catch you?"

 _Yes_ she thought with certainty. She checked the escape routes and noticed he moved a step to the side, she followed his action.

"I know you have an advantage on your side, being able to _motus_ and _phasmatos_ me around but just know – I won't go after your magic until you use it against me."

She contemplated throwing a quick _vatos_ his way, blowing up his surroundings to give her a solid minute to make an escape but her mind raced at the repercussions.

Before losing her nerve she ran out the way they had just come in, through the living room, and out the other entrance near the main door. She pulled it open and tried to squeeze herself through the small opening when he pulled her back by the waist and slammed the door close.

"Mm, I don't remember you running around _outside_ the house." His chest was pressed to her back.

She spun around and kneed him in the groin, watching him groan and lose his balance and grip on her.

"That – sucked," she heard him laugh as she took off down the hallway.

She turned the corner and rounded the stairs two at a time, knowing exactly where she was headed. She ran past all the open doorways, cursing this house for being enormous but only having a handful of rooms with a lock on the door and turned the corner staring at the door at the end of the hall. She huffed out a breath and ran down the never ending hallway, flashes of her dream self never reaching the end in sheer panic. She ran full force into Damon's door attempting to throw it open at the same time but it wouldn't budge. She threw her body up against it hoping to jerk it open but nothing happened.

"Well, you made this easy for me."

She turned and saw him at the end of hallway, slowly walking towards her, the key to the door dangling in his hand. The look he wore was a mix between determination, curiosity, and hunger. She could feel the darkness closing in around her, the air getting harder to breathe in leaving her feeling slightly hazy.

"Stop it, Kai!" she yelled, her hand pressing against the wall and sliding to the next doorway.

"Oh come on, aren't you having a little fun right now?" he smirked, the distance between them closely disappearing.

"Can't you feel your adrenaline pumping through your veins, your breath catching at the anticipation – the excitement?"

She could feel all of those things happening and more; her stomach tightening with each step he took and her mouth so dry she needed to lick her lips to try and swallow.

"I need you – to stop." She kept sliding across the wall until her hand wrapped around a doorknob.

"What will happen if I don't?" his voice was so dark and seductive that she had to momentarily stop and question if this was a dream. In the corner of her mind she hoped it was because she wasn't sure how she was going to make it out of this situation.

She opened the door and pushed herself backwards into it, trying to shut it before he could reach her but he was too close. He pushed his foot into the crack of open space and pushed against the door and her body weight; both seemed to move easily against his strength. He pushed it open and she backed up a few steps, the light in the hallway illuminating his shadow against the darkened room.

"Hm," his tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth. "This seems about right so far."

He closed the door and they were both enveloped in the darkness.

She tried not to make a sound as she backed away, hoping her eyes would adjust before his and bumped into the footrest on the bed. She gasped and felt his body heat in front of her, attempting to step back farther and almost tripping over onto the bed.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into him.

"Got you," he whispered.

She pushed against his chest and ducked under his arm, heading for the light under the door. He pressed his hand against the door before she could open it and she was trapped between the two. She rested her forehead against the door, eyes closed, trying to calm her pounding heart.

"So I'm the darkness, and I've found you – surrounded you – what happens next?"

"I… go to the cave."

"Then what?" His fingers trailed up her back, her darkened state not helping her raging emotions in the least.

"Start the spell," she whispered.

He spun her around and pressed her into the door leaving no distance between them.

"Like this?"

She lost her breath by his closeness; his silhouette blacked out by the light and his voice causing vibrations coursing through her. She clenched her thighs together and gritted her teeth, annoyed at the betrayal her body was giving away.

She felt his hand reach up and cup the side of her face, holding her level with where his face must be. She stared straight ahead and was starting to make out some of his features.

"What happens next?" he whispers.

Her eye-line followed his voice until she found his lips, licking her own lips in response. She breathed in and leaned forward a fraction toward before realizing what she was doing and hastily pushing her head back until it thudded off the door.

"Ugh," she groaned, reaching to feel the back of her head.

The hand that was cupping the side of her neck trailed into her hair and rubs her head softly.

"We" she chokes out. "You - kiss me."

Before she finished her sentence his lips were on hers and her body froze on impact from shock. She heard him breathe deeply through his nose, briefly pressing himself into her harder before breaking the kiss.

Her eyes were still open and could make out the features on his face, his eyes still closed before opening them slowly. She felt a static charge when his gaze connected with hers and her body surged forward into his chest, her fingers raking up his t-shirt.

He lifted her with ease and pushed her back into the door, her breath leaving her in a gasp as he wrapped her legs around him. She could feel his heart pounding against her hand as he squeezed her ass and grinded his hips against her, a moan escaping into his mouth. He leaned back to rip off his shirt then pulled hers over her head, pressing back into her and groaning at the contact against her naked breasts. Her nipples hardened from the rasp in his voice and she felt a wave of urgency travel straight down her stomach.

His hands roamed from underneath her thighs back up around the side and up her stomach until he reached her breasts, kneading and massaging as his hips urged into hers without any volition. The sweatpants did absolutely nothing for the imagination as she could feel every hard inch of him notched tightly against her. She took a second to wonder how her dream self knew his body so vividly – maybe her subconscious was taking mental notes as he was cuddled up behind her but she had a dark sense that she knew exactly what was hiding a fabric of cotton away.

She let her mind deviate from her actions, taking in who this man in front of her was and what type of person he really is. A month ago just the thought of her kissing Kai seemed preposterous; his physical attraction aside she had him in a separate category for the bad guy's she would have to square off against - Klaus, Silas – which meant she could see him as an untrustworthy, evil in his killing ways psychopath. Since Damon left or the nightmares began, hard to decipher the difference, it seems like Kai has opened up a new side of himself. He's let her into his head for brief moments of time about his father, his childhood, and the torment being part of the Gemini Coven truly meant for the fate of your existence. Through his stories he has made her open up her eyes and her mind about the events that have happened in his life that led him to being trapped in a prison, isolated on his own for almost two decades. She thinks about the small boy who felt like an outcast from the world – from his family – and how heavy the weight of his solitude felt for the rest of his life. A month ago she wouldn't have wanted to eat a meal with him, and now she can't stop wanting to know more.

"Kai," she breathed through his mouth, inhaling every breath he let out. She could feel his body under her hands trembling, his heart beating so fast it felt like one continuous thud. A random thought hit her.

"Are you nervous?"

His gaze flicked from her lips up to her eyes, his a deeper shade of blue with lips parted. He let out a shaky laugh and turned his head to the side breaking eye contact, a small rush of triumph coming over her.

"I wouldn't say that," he answered in a hoarse voice, his fingers flexing restlessly against her skin.

"Oh no?" she retorted back, a smile breaking out.

"Well it's not like I've gotten to do this much in the last decade or two."

She leaned her head back against the door and let out a laugh, a lighter and relaxed sense coming over her. He joined in on her laughter, resting his head against her shoulder and leaning one hand next to her head on the door.

After a few moments he lifted his head and rested it against her forehead, eyes still closed. She stared at his relaxed face and felt a pang in her chest.

"So, anything like your dream?

"Mm," she hummed in appreciation. "Kai I – want" she gripped his forearms a little tighter trying not to lose her nerve and rushed out, "to know more about you."

She could feel him smiling before he opened his eyes, lifting his head a fraction to look at her.

"Like what?"

She felt a rush of nerves shoot out from within her core having this actual conversation with him while they were this close.

"Like – more about your coven, and what you were like before you started murdering people," she paused taking a breath, "If your reasons from your past justify your actions. Just… more."

"Okay," he smiled, his voice still gruff as his hand traced circles around her thigh.

"Okay? Well that was easier than I thought."

"Why would that have been difficult? I don't mind letting you into my head. After all, I'm working my way into yours."

She huffed out a laugh, knowing he was more precise than he could have anticipated.


	15. Chapter 15

She spent the rest of the day in an extreme state of discomfort; with herself, her surroundings, watching her morals and common sense fly out the window and into the unknown. She didn't know what was worse; wanting Kai Parker physically, or wanting to know more about him mentally. By the time it was late enough for dinner she was mindlessly flipping through the channels, not finding a single thing to watch. He walked in holding two steaming plates placing it on the coffee table in front of her; a quesadilla on one and all the ingredients put together separately on the other to make fajitas. She breathed it in and her mouth watered, diving in for a slice of the quesadilla as he went back into the kitchen. She burned her mouth on the first bite but didn't seem to notice as she continued through. He came back holding 2 glasses, a 2 liter of soda, and the container of sour cream and salsa. He placed everything in front of her and went over to the TV, rifling through the movies before popping one in.

He sat down as the intense theme song that plays throughout the movie began.

"Another scary movie?"

"Pff, get to know me already." He leaned forward, filling both of their glasses before grabbing a tortilla and throwing together a fajita.

She leaned back against the couch with her legs tucked up on her right side, Kai leaning forward next to them as he half watched what he was putting together but more focused on the movie.

She looked back up and watched the girl and guy walk away from the bonfire, stripping their clothes before she dove into the nighttime ocean. His drunken stumbles kept him from going in as she lazily swims about before being yanked from side to side and getting pulled under.

He nodded his head, looking back at her with a mouthful of food.

"Jaws," he smiled, "used to scare the crap out of me when I was little."

"You mean something could actually scare you?" she laughed, going for another slice and putting a dollop of sour cream on it.

"Oh yeah," he scoffed. "You could not bribe me to get into that water, and that was with lakes and ponds. If you brought me to an ocean I would be way over there in the backseat of the car."

She smiled, picturing a frightened little Kai with determination to be nowhere near what was making him feel these things.

He handed her a drink as he went for his own, putting them both back before making another fajita and sitting back, pulling her legs over one of his.

"So let's round off those questions you're so desperate to know about me. Should we do it like jeopardy; intense information for 800, or maybe more of a lightning speed round where we see how many I can answer in 60 seconds?"

She chewed her bite slowly, taking in her surprise at his eager state. Now that she was on the spot, her mind went blank coming up with a single question.

"Did you grow up killing small animals and wetting the bed?" It was the first thought that popped into her head, being the first sign people look for in a serial killer or a psychopath.

His shocked expression was quickly replaced by one of sheer amusement, laughing so hard he was holding his stomach, eyes closed and head thrown back.

"Nope, no, can't say that I did," his laughter subsided slightly, looking back at her with a huge smile. "Did _you_ wet the bed after killing small animals?"

"No!" she threw the small pillow that was next to her at the side of his head. He picked it up and put it behind him.

"I just heard that it's a common thing for people, sometimes," she shrugged.

"For a serial killer maybe," he snorted as he held onto her legs, leaning forward and grabbing a quesadilla and putting a dollop of sour cream and salsa on top.

"Not so much for kids growing up in a strict coven. My thing was more – finding new ways to tick off my father and hanging in my treehouse.

"A treehouse?" she smiled.

"Oh, it was sweet. It had a rope to climb up that I could pull up after so other people couldn't sneak up on me, and a little window, all kinds of comic books and snacks, even a pillow and blanket was tucked in the corner. Yeah I spent a lot of time up there."

"Sounds pretty nice, did your dad build it?"

He laughed once loudly, shaking his head and taking a sip of his drink.

"Built that baby all on my own," he smiled proudly.

"You built your own treehouse, how old were you?"

"Thirteen," he answered before taking another sip.

She felt a twinge in her chest recalling his life at thirteen, surrounded by never ending nightmares of dying and not being good enough for his coven and family.

"Would you go out there after your nightmares?"

He glanced over and she noticed something in his eyes before looking back at the movie.

"Yeah," he shrugged. "Usually before so I wouldn't wake up Josette or the rest of the house but sometimes I would after if she was still asleep."

"Did you do that for the whole year?"

"Mhm," he nodded. "It was great for about 8 months out of the year; a warm 50 degrees even at night and the sky was always clear so I could lie on my back and look straight up at everything. There were a few cold months but, no snow, so it wasn't bad."

"What would your dad say when you brought up your nightmares?"

"He would tell me to quit being such a child," he said harshly, almost like he could hear him saying it. " _If you can't handle a couple of bad dreams, how are you going to be able to lead this coven, Malachai? Do you have what it takes?"_

He shook his head, holding her legs in place again as he leaned forward to grab his drink.

"Want anything?"

"A fajita."

He nodded and fixed her one before leaning back and resting his arm over her thighs, his other hand resting on her shin.

"Our coven leader tried to break me down mentally long before he started in on me physically, neither tactic worked out for him."

Her hands froze halfway in the air, the large bite suddenly tasting sour in her mouth and she tried to gulp it down. She stared at the side of his face.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing just that he's had it out for me since I was as young as I can remember, and he never let up on it. Actually, I think his hatred grew the older I got."

"How did he hurt you?"

"With ease," he smiled, his expression looking haunted.

She felt a small shiver go down her spine, making her legs twitch.

"It's alright, Bon, hasn't happened to me for quite a few years. I don't think he would know _what_ to do with me now," he smirked.

She couldn't help but let her mind wander to all the possible ways Kai could have been abused, degraded, and traumatized by his own family – _his father_. She gritted her teeth at the images that flashed, her disdain for this man she has never met growing more and more each day.

"What's one of the worst things he's done to you?"

He thought for a moment and opened his mouth to speak, closing it and tightening his hold against her shin.

"He did a lot of bad things."

"Well what memory did you just think of?"

She watched his jaw clench as he stared straight at the TV, his fingers digging into her skin.

"Nothing," his tone was low, dangerous. Her common sense told her to back off.

"Was it something physical, mental, did he go after Josette-"

" _Bonnie._ " His voice was sharp, a shift in the atmosphere apparent as she looked over his darkened features. "Ask me something else."

She tried to think of another question to ease some of the tension she created in the last thirty seconds, but she couldn't stop replaying scenarios of what could have happened to him that was so much worse on the spectrum than the rest that he didn't even want to think about it.

She pushed at his arm and he leaned slightly to the other side and looked over at her, so she did it again. She reached around and poked at his ribs and under his arm.

"Are you ticklish?"

She ran her fingernails down his side and went to reach over to his stomach until he reached for both sides of her hips, sending butterflies across her skin. She tried to kick her legs backwards and out of his grasp but he leaned up and over her having full advantage. She stopped her attempt at tickling him to try and shield herself; tears pooling in her eyes from how hard she was laughing.

"Okay – okay! I give up!" She laughed, looking up at him smiling back down at her.

"So, not ticklish," she nodded pushing at his chest until he was sitting back in his spot. "Check that one off the list. How about hobbies, what'd you used to do?"

"Well I had _friends_ ," he smirked. "I couldn't stand half the people I came into contact with but I had a few people I stayed close to through the years. We'd do normal stuff; walk around, go to the mall, hang at the house, get drunk and fool around."

"Oh," she responded, slightly taken aback. "So you – I mean – you had girlfriends?"

He chuckled. "I had friends, which were girls, yes. Could never really stick with a girlfriend, too much commitment and attachment and always wanting more – I mean obviously."

She couldn't help but laugh at his smugness.

"So then have you, uh, been-"she switched up tactics "You've been with girls then."

She peeked over at him when he didn't respond and his mouth was dropped open in shock but couldn't fight the smile that was breaking through.

"Bonnie Bennett, are you asking me if I've had sex before?"

She felt her cheeks flush hot as she leaned to the side to reach for her drink, taking a long sip and avoiding his direction. She could feel his chest and legs vibrating from his sniggering.

"I might have been a bit of a loner with family issues but shit, I'm not crazy."

She smirked at his blasé answer, noting the way he tied in a topic that still hovers over her thoughts.

"Were you ever crazy?" She thought out loud. "I mean I know that's not something you can just pick up one day and drop the next, but did you ever feel like you were going crazy, or did you just snap at the end?"

"I felt like I was going crazy during those nightmares," he smirked. "But no, I didn't grow up and turn crazy. There wasn't any satanic memorabilia around my room and I didn't have a kill list in a notebook somewhere."

He turned his leg in towards her, hers falling in between his as they both faced each other sideways on the couch.

"I-"he furrowed his eyebrows, trying to sort through his thoughts. "I didn't want to die, Bonnie. I was the rare exception that grew up knowing I was going to be killed as soon as I was able to start my life, or I was going to take out my twin sister to be able to do so. But it's our birthright, our duty, and I heard it so many times that I started to believe it. Thought if I'm dying young at least it's for something bigger and better and I could almost come to grips with that, until my father tried to prevent it."

She pulled the blanket off the top of the couch and draped it over their legs, feeling a sudden chill.

"There's actually this set of rules," he smiled, "pretty basic and not too many you have to follow. But one of the first ones on there; _no interfering with the set of twins that are next in line to lead the coven -_ bastard just couldn't help himself."

She let everything he was saying slip deep into her thoughts, resonating and changing the way she perceived him one piece of information at a time.

"I didn't snap, and I didn't go crazy; I knew exactly what I was doing and I'm not sure if that makes me better or worse, but I needed to do something that would make him suffer and he would have to live through."

She knew she wasn't saying much but her gaze never left his face the entire time he spoke. She could read every harsh memory through the anger that flared up in his eyes and the way his jaw ticked or teeth clenched when he referred to the coven.

"I've come at you once or twice, and you have not hesitated to put me down to make sure you keep living. It's your natural instinct to survive and destroy what is trying to destroy you – can you put yourself in my position and see where I'm coming from?"

She took a deep breath and put herself in that hypothetical situation; growing up in his world, with his responsibilities, his traits that made him "different" from other people, and his family. She thought of living in a world of magic with a family and being the only one that couldn't do it – and not being able to tell anyone about it. She pictured his father yelling at her like he would at him to be better, that he isn't good enough for years until he believed it. And finally, she imagined what she would do if after all those years of misery she overheard that he is going to kill her before she has to chance to fulfill her destiny for supposedly being born in the first place.

She let out a deep breath, closing her eyes.

"Yes."

She felt his hands trail up both of her shins, stopping at her knees and gliding back down, leaving tingles in its wake. Her vision came back into focus on his smiling face.

"I'm happy to hear that, Bon."

"You're-"she tried to reign in her thoughts before speaking but it came out anyway. He looked up at her, eyebrows raised.

"Different," she blurted. "I mean not that different, a good different. I mean-" _why am I tripping over my words right now?_ "I am seeing you… in a different way."

She could have sworn she saw the pent up anger drain away from his body, his shoulders relaxing and his smile sincere as he continued leaving goosebumps on her legs.

"I'm not the monster you thought I was; you just met me under really terrible circumstances. I've been told I'm not that great at first impressions."

She laughed and pushed his stomach backwards with her foot, his head landed on the other armrest. He rested on leg up against the back of the couch and his other landed on the ground, pulling her foot up closer to him and rubbing the sole, her humming in appreciation.

"So what do you want to do now?"

"I wanna sleep," she thought out loud, her full stomach with how good she felt because of this foot rub had exhaustion quickly taking hold of her. She looked back over at the movie and saw they were more than halfway through, the guys already on their excursion into the middle of the ocean. Her eyelids started to feel heavy against the light from the TV.

"Do you want to sleep in your room?"

"Mm," she mumbled, trying hard to keep her eyes open.

"Get some sleep," she could hear him smiling through his words. "I'll wake you up in a few hours."

For once, she listened to him without a second thought.


	16. Chapter 16

Bonnie was starting to feel really comfortable around Kai, too comfortable. That surge of fear that she used to feed off of when he was close was gone, replaced by a warm flurry that raced through her veins. Her instinct to run and fight her way through any given scenario has simmered into staying and pushing her limits, seeing where it leads. Her body was starting to crave his touch; too attune to his fingers dancing across her skin while he chatted away or pulled her in close before feeling his body relaxing into hers. She enjoyed his presence - talking to him, and learning more about him, the way she felt when he was touching her and the thoughts that were trying to break through her subconscious. The more he was around her the lower her guard became until one overwhelming emotion outshined the rest; nervous. Because of that reason alone, she was going to finally do what she's supposedly been doing for a couple nights already; sleep comfortably in her own bed.

"Hey," he smiled, leaning against the door frame. "Decided to sleep in the room next door in case you need a little TLC after your nightmare?"

She snorted, continuing to draw aimlessly in one of the notebooks.

"I'm in here because it's where most of my stuff has ended up. Besides, I figured I'd stay close by since you can't seem to stay away."

He laughed, nodding once before shrugging.

"Why not make it easier for both of us."

"Goodnight, Kai."

"Sweet dreams," he pushed off the frame and sauntered away.

She shook her head smiling, looking back at her notebook to continue her doodles. She drew pictures, symbols, and lyrics for some odd 40 minutes before she could feel her eyelids getting heavier, the pressure against her forehead making her pen slip from her fingers. She pushed the notebook and pen to the side of the bed and rolled over, determined to fall asleep soundly.

-x—x—x—x—x—

She can feel the sunlight hitting her eyelids before her mind or body was fully awake, blinding her with disorientation and pushing the pillow over her head. After a moment of letting her brain catch up to the rest of her body, she pulled the pillow off her head and looked over at the clock, 10:25AM flashing back at her.

"Ha!" she squeals out loud, bouncing on the bed with her butt a few times and hands fisted in front of her. She actually did it; she had a full night's sleep, on her own, with no nightmares. These past two days of stressing over what's going to happen next, or what the next nightmare could be and her beauty sleep was just beckoning out to her.

She hopped off the bed and scooted around the floor, doing a mini dance in celebration. Once the initial shock and awe of having no dreams washed over her, the second wave of logic hit her full force, making her sit back on the bed. _Why did the dreams stop now? It's supposed to be when you beat the dream, or accomplish what you were set out to do._ She didn't understand why her last dream wasn't when they kissed and got teleported home – that is the goal, the reason why they are here. She let her mind drift through her last dream, hearing his raspy words and her own ' _I want you, I need you…'_

"Oh boy," she mumbled, shaking her head once and making her way to the door. Whatever the reason may be, she slept soundly on her own for a change and she wasn't going to let anything bring her down. She had an extra pep in her step as she swung her door open and opened his in the same way, expecting to find him awake.

What she didn't expect was for him to not only be asleep, but making pained noises while he dreamt. Her breath hitched and she slowly walked towards the bed hearing his anxious sounds, seeing his eyebrows drawn in and deep lines across his forehead when she stood next to him.

"Kai," she said quietly, hoping but doubtful that it would wake him.

His heavy breathing and distressed expression was making her heartrate spike, her fingers starting to shake from adrenaline.

"Kai," she said more forceful, leaning over him and shaking his shoulders. "Wake up!"

His eyes shot open as he breathed in a gasp of hair, wrapping his hands around her arms and spinning her over him until she was on the other side of the bed. He had her restrained as he leaned over her, an angry expression on his face.

"Kai…" she breathed, not sure what was happening.

He blinked once and the rest of his dream haze dissipated.

"Bonnie." He let go of her forearms and leaned away, eyes wide as he looked her over.

"I'm… sorry. I didn't mean to do that."

She looked up at him raking his hands through his hair, eyes blinking rapidly.

"What were you dreaming about?"

"I don't-"he let out a harsh breath. "I don't even remember, just the feeling that came with it. That was – strange."

She leaned up so they were side to side, him looking anywhere but at her. She reached out to put her hand on his knee for comfort and hesitated a moment before continuing.

"Are you okay?"

He laughed once, shaking away his daze as he turned towards her smiling.

"Well I guess I believe you that you aren't having nightmares anymore, because I think I just picked them up."

She felt herself frown at the thought, her joy for not having to try and keep herself awake through waves of exhaustion diminishing at the possibility of Kai now having to do the same.

"It was just a bad a dream," he patted her hand on his knee. "Probably from all the stuff we were talking about last night, bound to conjure up some dark thoughts. I'm sure it's nothing."

He looked over at her but she could still see the worry line across his forehead.

"What's on the agenda today?"

—x—x—x—x—

Kai was in a completely different state of mind. His carefree light expressions were covered by dark eyes and gritted smiles. He complained of severe headaches all day, his temper spiking up at small actions and his anger increasing the more he tried to calm himself down. They ended up in the archway underneath all the flowers and vines, encased by shadows of the upcoming sunset.

"I want to go back inside."

He was sitting in the grass leaning against the fenced archway that wraps around to the other side, his eyes closed with his fists pressed against his forehead.

"This is nice though, right? The fresh air, the beautiful day-"

"It's too bright."

She frowned as she looked him over, this quick-tempered kid seeming like a distant memory from the guy she now knows. She bent down in front of him and lifted his head out of his hands. The anger that flared in his eyes should have knocked her back on her feet, and a month ago it would have been all she needed, but for whatever reason she felt the urgency to keep trying.

"What is going on with you?"

"I… don't know," he answered through gritted teeth. "I don't feel well, my head - I keep thinking I'm hearing things."

She felt a wave of uneasiness wash over but she pressed forward.

"What kinds of things?"

He held onto her wrists and he pushed himself up, letting her go and heading back out towards the house.

"I'm going inside, hang out here if you want."

Bonnie stopped mid-step at his comment, knowing something was definitely off. Not to say she's the most amazing person to be around, but Kai rarely left her alone, especially in the middle of the day when she's in one of her rare happy moods. If he's giving her an out to not be around him, it's because he doesn't want to be around her – and something about that didn't sit right.

She picked up the pace and caught up with him at the door.

"I'm going to shower," he said over his shoulder continuing his walk down the hall. "I'll see you later."

Her eyebrows furrowed at his sudden cold exterior compared to how they've been going for the last few weeks, and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't missing the person he seemed to show only her.

She walked into the living room and watched a movie, putting on another when it was done and noticed Kai still hadn't come back and it was almost 10PM. She headed down the hall and up the stairs towards his room, hoping she'd find him in a slightly more uplifting mood; she didn't.

He sat in his sweatpants and T-shirt on the side of the bed; his legs swung over and resting on the box spring as his elbows rested against his legs and mouth was covered by his hand. He stared straight ahead at the ground, his eyebrows down and lost in thought.

"Hey," she said somewhat unsure, not knowing if she should back out of the room and pretend she didn't see him.

He glanced up at her, staying in the same position.

"Hey," he said through his hand.

She sighed, walking over and sitting next to him on the bed. She nudged his shoulder with hers.

"You missed dinner."

"What'd you make?"

Her noise was something between a laugh and a scoff, cocking her head to the side for good measure.

"I made my way upstairs to see what you were doing," she smiled nonchalantly.

He laughed through his hands, dropping them in front of him and cocking his head down and to the side facing her.

"What do you want to eat?"

"Whatever you feel like making."

He nodded once and stepped off the bed, heading for the door and down the hallway without another word. She kept up the pace but didn't say anything until they were at the kitchen. He walked to the fridge and grabbed cheese and butter, scooped up the bread from the bread box and put it all on the island. He grabbed a knife and turned on the stove, putting butter in a pan and buttering the pieces of break before sticking them in there as well with a piece of cheese on top.

"Is this what I'm like after a nightmare? Kind of moody and lacking all type of emotion."

He turned back towards her and smirked, "pretty much."

"What a bore," she leaned forward against the island. "Because this right now, what I'm seeing… kinda sucks."

He chuckled but it didn't sound as sincere, never reaching his eyes.

"Would you prefer my usual, flirty, chatty ways?"

"Honestly…" she tilted her head to the side, weighing her options. "I gotta say it beats Mr. Brooding over here."

He smiled and turned back to the stove, flipping the two grilled cheese to the other side and hearing the sizzle.

"Why won't you talk about it?"

"Because I've _been_ talking about it," he said spinning back around. "I'm thinking that's the whole reason this is happening to me in the first place."

He let out a frustrated sigh, turning back around to put the grilled cheeses on two plates and sliding one over to her. He reached for the chips in the cabinet above and tossed them in the middle of the island.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but I've had kind of a shitty upbringing and the more I talk about the more… memories, resurface.

She took a bite and let his words sink in, a pang of guilt hitting her for wanting him to open up more.

"Sorry," she mumbled, opening the bag of chips and putting some on her plate.

"It's not-"he took a deep breath and put the spatula down. "It's not you Bonnie, it's me. I want to tell you everything, to make you understand me and not be afraid."

He leaned against the counter on his shoulders and took a large bite, looking down at his plate the whole time. When he looked back his smile was small, a characteristic that didn't fit him.

"I'm not a monster; I just have some of my own."

She stared at him, noticing that's the second time he's referred to himself like that. If she was talking to anyone else during this conversation she would have already had them wrapped up in her arms, her embrace so tight and comforting that they had no other option than to feel the love. Sure, she's gotten to the point where she can justify sleeping in his bed and feeling safe and secure, but this gesture means more than just _I'll comfort you,_ it would be an act of kindness saying _I'm here for you._ She looked over at his rigid and slumped posture as he stared down at his plate and couldn't stop the words from spilling out.

"So I was thinking, maybe, I could sleep in your room tonight."

He glanced up at her with his eyes, a dark but smoldering expression happening before he lifted his head completely.

"Oh really, why? I thought you weren't having nightmares anymore?"

"Mm, but the tables have turned. Now it's you who is the damsel in distress and I'm the knight and shining armor."

"Awh that's so cute of you to think of me that way," he smiled, a flicker of his spark breaking through.

"Mhm, you going to let me sleep in there or not?"

His eyes shined and she noticed the smirk she's come accustomed to.

"Oh Bonnie, you never need to ask if you can sleep with me."


	17. Chapter 17

They made their way up to his room after dinner, neither wanting to watch TV but weren't in the mood for much of anything else either. She slipped into the room next to his first, grabbing her pen and notebook, a pair of her pajama shorts and toothbrush before heading back to his room.

Bonnie walked into him the same moment Kai was lifting his shirt, his bare chest a few feet away from her and her eyes shot up to his, noticing they were blocked by the shirt and drifted down his stomach; taking in his lean but strong build and his happy trail leading down low on his waistband, his hip bones visible a good few inches above the fabric. Blinking, and then again with force realizing she had to have been staring for too long she looked quickly back up into his smiling eyes looking back at her.

"Oh no, please continue, that little bit of drool that's coming out of the side of your mouth is adorable."

"As if," she scoffed, walking around him into the bathroom.

Bonnie brushed her teeth and washed her face, spending a few extra minutes to clear her mind of very different thoughts and headed back out into his room. He was sitting up against the headboard, aimlessly flipping through her notebook.

"Um-"she said out loud, rounding the side of the bed he's sitting on to snatch it out of his hand.

"What, is that your diary?"

"No, but-"

"Do you have little Mrs. Kai Parker's with hearts on all the pages?"

Her eyebrows rose.

"Wow, you are so stuck in the 90's."

Kai laughed and grabbed her hips, pulling her over him like he did earlier but in a much more playful manner. Her head landed on the pillow with her legs draped on his over the covers. They chatted for another hour or two until Kai's voice started to get groggier, pulling her in closer to him as she heard his breathing get heavier. She turned around in his hold and stared at his features, oddly transfixed by him when he looked his most vulnerable. All the anger and flirtatious looks disappear; the knowledge of what he's done in his past weighed heavily against how innocent he can appear. Her hand trailed up and gently glided across his jaw, him hugging her tighter from the sudden movement. She smiled to herself, letting her body relax in his embrace and feeling a sense of calm and serenity pass over her skin. She touched her forehead to his and closed her eyes.

-x—x—x—x—x—

Her body felt the jolt of panic before her mind could pick up on what was happening, still too deep into her subconscious. A chill went up her spine to the base of her neck, her hairs standing on end and her skin feeling prickly. _Danger_ her instincts urged as she tried to pull herself out of her foggy state, struggling to open her eyes.

" _No_ ," she heard from a deep voice next to her.

Bonnie's eyes opened quickly, a sharp sense of awareness as she tried to look around the blacked out room. She could still feel her adrenaline racing, something compelling her to stay on red alert. She paused when she heard Kai's heavy breathing, a pained gruff escaping his lips. She turned towards him up on her hands and knees, trying to see him through the dark with no luck and got up off the bed to pull one of the curtains back, the moon eclipsing his silhouette.

Kai was wearing the same expression she found him in that morning; eyebrows drawn in with deep lines on his forehead, restless, and pained noises escaping his throat. He gripped the mattress and let out another sound laced with anger causing her to stop a step away from the mattress. Bonnie's thoughts raced as quickly as her adrenaline, not being able to distinct one possible plan from the next as she went through scenarios of how she could wake him and w _hat the hell could he be dreaming about?_ She took a step closer and saw he was covered in a layer of sweat.

"Kai," she said loudly, smacking his chest once with force.

His breathing quickened and he groaned deep in the back of his throat. A part of her wanted to shake him awake since it worked last time but her sharp sense of awareness was telling her to choose otherwise since it didn't end as smoothly.

" _Stop_ ," he bit out, his back slightly arching off the bed on one side.

Chin wobbling and hands fisted at her sides, instinct took over as she sprinted into the bathroom and filled the small cup of water that's left by the sink, running back and throwing it in Kai's face. His gasps of air were drowned out by a fit of coughs; leaning on one elbow to the side off the bed. She stood less than a foot away, her heartbeat pounding in her chest as her feet stayed frozen in place. Reaching forward and putting her hand against his collar bone, she tried to push him back a fraction to lift his head.

"What the hell, Bonnie?" he asked through the last of his coughs, still staring at the floor.

"What the hell is right! You were - what were you dreaming about?"

Bonnie could feel his chest expanding on harsh breaths through her hand, touching what felt like one tense muscle. He swung his legs over the bed and dropped his head in his hands, his eyes closing giving nothing away. She stood in front of him unsure of what to do next, knowing all too well how terrifying it is to have a nightmare so vividly and be pulled back to reality; your mind still playing through its mental movie and lingering in the back of your throat like a lump you can't swallow. She's woken up in a panic; heart racing and disoriented with no control of your raging thoughts but this seemed different, even with the possibility of him going through all of this – her nightmares never broke through to attack her physically. Didn't have the strength to latch onto her subconscious while she was awake and pull her back into the darkness, even if she was thinking about her dreams constantly. Something about this seemed off – and Kai knew it. Crouching down in front of him she rested her arms against his raised knees.

"I don't know what to do," she whispered honestly, feeling a deep ache in her chest with no real thought to why that is.

"That makes two of us," he raised one side of his mouth to smile but it was tainted by something darker.

His hands left his hair and rested over hers. "But since you already woke me with half a shower, I'm going to finish the job."

Dropping her arms from his knees when he stood she copied his movements quickly and blocked his path, putting her hand out against his chest to stop his movements.

"Wait – no – I want to know. What are you dreaming about? Are they nightmares like mine; _What If's_ that could happen like you said before... or are they memories?"

"Let it go, Bonnie, they're just dreams."

He moved her out of the way and walked straight for the shower.

"That doesn't answer my question!" she stormed in after him hovering in the doorway as he looked over his shoulder, closing his eyes before smiling and turning to face her.

"Did you want to join me? I'm perfectly fine with that."

"I want to talk to you!" she huffed and watched the humor drain from his face.

"I don't."

Glancing at his thumbs hooking into his boxers he waited a beat longer before pulling them down in one swift motion, her eyes shutting tight and spinning around at the same time.

"That's... awesome – real mature, Kai."

Bonnie heard him snort behind her before stepping into the shower and tapped her foot a couple of times before walking back and plopping on the bed to wait for him. Kai couldn't stay in there all night, but damned if he was going to try. After a half hour she finally heard the water turn off and a few minutes later he walked out in a white towel. He looked at the bed and sighed before walking over to the drawer and grabbing a pair of boxers, going back into the bathroom for another few minutes.

"You're worse than a girl!" she hollered after what felt like an hour.

"That's just not true," he vocalized before walking out and going back over to the dresser, pulling out a pair of shorts and T-shirt and slipping them on.

"What are you doing?" she stared with crinkled eyebrows.

"I'm going for a walk."

"Now?" She wondered glancing at the clock reading 4:52AM and out at the darkened skies. "It's... kind of still dark out."

Bonnie pulled the blanket over her legs and stood up when he put his hand out.

"No – just... go back to sleep. I won't be gone for long, just need some fresh air."

"Well, hang on. I just need some clothes," she said looking down at her outfit as she spoke and back up to an empty doorway, "or you can just walk away in the middle of a conversation, that works too."

Plopping on the bed with a huff Bonnie replayed over the events that just happened and tried to dissect every piece of it. She's come to know by now that Kai Parker doesn't get easily shaken, by anything, but there is definitely something that is trying to dig its way deep into his mind; thinking back to what he said when she asked him this morning, ' _the more I talk about the more... memories resurface_.'

Bonnie hugged her knees up to her chest, resting her chin against them and staring out the window. She let her mind dig deeper into their recent conversations to pinpoint exactly what triggered them. Kai has to be dreaming about his childhood, or his father – or both, seeing how that's what he's been opening up about. The spots behind her eyes ache from the headache brewing over the terrible hypothetical scenarios she's coming up with, her stomach churning at the possibility of any of them being true. _'I'm not a monster; I just have a few of my own.'_

Bonnie laughed at herself, the irony of finally having a moment of peace to herself and her thoughts are still consumed by him. She honestly couldn't think of a single logical reason why she would benefit from knowing his dreams, or having him open up to her more for that matter. Without a second thought she'd found herself being pulled towards him like an electric charge, sparks shooting out and enveloping them both with each new piece of information she discovered. Bonnie became accustomed to being terrified of Kai; never thinking she'd find herself bring terrified of her own thoughts about him. Falling backwards against the pillow, her eyes drifting shut as she stared out the window.

-x—x—x—x—

Hell must have been freezing over as she lived and breathed, because here she was, all by herself in the prison world with the chance to do anything she wanted – and she was wondering about her fellow prisoner. She woke up around 11AM to find him nowhere in the house and Damon's car was gone. She hung around the house for hours, waiting for him to come back until she focused on distracting herself; going for a walk in the woods and spending time in her new little sanctuary. She came in when the sun was setting and the car still wasn't in the driveway. She heated up some leftovers and grabbed one of the books from Stefan's room, going back to the living room and waiting on the couch so she would see him come in. By the time it hit midnight; she was worried.

When she heard the door open she nearly threw the book across the room, throwing off her blanket and turning the corner to the main door.

Her head went back when she saw him, put on a momentary halt by his appearance. His bright eyes were dark with shadows underneath, his cheeky smile set in a firm line and his hair in disarray from obvious frustrated hands raking through it.

"Rough day?" she asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"You could say that," his voice was deep, distant than his usual playful tone.

"Are you hungry? I didn't cook anything but there's a bunch of leftovers."

"No, thanks, I'm just going to go upstairs." He walked past her and headed down the hallway but she stayed in step. He stopped when they got to the staircase, staring down at her, causing her to stare back up, "what are you doing?"

"What are _you_ doing? I'm going upstairs," she nudged his shoulder and continued up the flight and down the hall, shaking off her wariness about crowding him as her determination was easily overpowering it.

She walked into his room and sat in her usual spot, looking over at him standing in the doorway.

"Bonnie, I – don't think you should sleep in here tonight."

"What, why?" She couldn't even take a guess at what was going on in his mind right now. "Was it not just last night you said I don't have to ask to sleep in here?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Besides," she continued, "you're really gonna turn down a girl that's already in your bed?"

Kai looked her over, smiling once before walking into the room and wrapping his hands around the footrest.

"Well when you put it like that," he shrugged, kicking off his shoes.

Kai stared at her for a beat too long, sensing he wanted to say something but didn't. He let out a breath and rounded the bed to his side, sitting down and leaning against the headrest.

"Talk to me," she said quietly, turning around so they were diagonal on the bed but face to face.

Kai looked over, his eyebrows drawn, "I've been having... different dreams and I don't know what I'm going to conjure up tonight. I don't – want to wake up the way I did before, and I can't have you at the ready with a glass of water by your side."

Bonnie wouldn't have been more shocked if he slapped her in the face; Kai was more concerned about what he could unknowingly do to her than being trapped in the nightmare itself. She wasn't sure he even knew how to put someone else before himself, figured he never had to in his life, but it didn't cushion the surprise any less.

"I'll be fine," she searched his face, not knowing if she was saying the words because she believed them, or she wanted him to.

"You're the one going through the traumatic experiences you don't want to let me in on; I'm just the bystander watching it happen. Is this what it was like for you? Did you think about what I could be thinking and going through and getting pissed off the more you questioned it?"

"Yep," Kai laughed, resting his hand on her knee. "Only your dreams involved me, and all the things you desperately want to do to me, and yes that includes stabbing me too so you can wipe that look off your face. I want to know everything, I still do."

"You already know," Bonnie sighed, knowing even in his distant state she wasn't about to let him into her hidden fantasy.

"I know about the kiss," his fingers traced light designs over her knee and thigh. "I don't know about us losing our shirts and pressing you up against the wall, that's new. That I don't think we would have been able to do in that little circle of light."

Bonnie felt her face heat and lose all train of thought; her suddenly replaying him asking about the dream at the end and her not remembering to deny it. She bit the top of her lip, frantically trying to come up with an excuse on the spot and nothing logical coming to mind. Blowing out a breath and knowing she was stuck and couldn't backtrack, she glanced over at him smiling wide back at her and couldn't help but smile at his lit up expression.

"Well there's a happy face," she laughed, outstretching her leg and kicking him once in the stomach.

"I guess you make me happy," he shrugged, pulling her foot closer and tickling up her leg.

Bonnie let out a burst of laughter as she tried to kick away, leaning in towards him to restrain his wrists with her own. Kai moved his left hand from tickling her and brought it around her side, her body in a little ball tucked up close to his armpit and ribs. He ran his fingers up her spine and she felt static, a shiver breaking out. Bonnie looked over at him, their faces only a foot apart but his eyes closed as his head rested against the backboard and felt a wave of emotions hitting her all at once. Not only did she feel comfortable around him and wanted to know all of his stories and secrets, but she was constantly hit with a new sense of nerves that kept her slightly on edge. It used to be her anxiety that would have her pushing him away, but now her skittish senses have her being drawn to his touch.

Leaning forward and resting her head against his arm, the rest of her tucked into a ball at his side while her left leg's were thrown across his stomach. He turned his head slightly so his temple rested against the side of her head and they stayed that way until her muscles started to lock.

"You shouldn't stay," Kai murmured as she pulled back the covers, yanking it again so he would lift himself up and crawling underneath.

"Yeah but I'm already comfortable," she yawned, fixing her pillow and leaning on her side to face him.

Grumbling deep in his chest and pulled the covers over him, Kai lied on his side and looked into her eyes shaking his head once and smiled before closing them. His worry lines slowly starting to disappear as she looked over his profile from his face down to his arm resting against his stomach and cocked an eyebrow.

Before overthinking it she scooted herself closer, tucking in until her arms were the only space between their chests and her forehead was near his chin. Kaie breathed in deep and lifted his arm over hers and around her waist pulling her in tight, snaking his other arm around her shoulder and his hand landed in her hair. Gentle scratches against her scalp calmed her nervous thoughts as she lifted herself higher against his chest, moving her hands from its confined space and wrapping them around his bicep; dropping his head closer to hers before she drifted off in his embrace.


	18. Chapter 18

** I can't for the life of me figure out how to put the "warning - sexual situations / abuse" page before this chapter so just - forewarned; **there is abuse**. **

She felt a static charge come over her body in waves, startling her out of her dream state and sitting upright, rubbing her arms to brush the goosebumps away. She looked to her side and discovered what had woken her; Kai's broken sounds. He grumbled deep in the back of his throat as his fist twisted against the sheets, his breathing harsh. She reached out to touch his chest and felt he was cold and clammy, his heart pounding underneath her palm.

"Kai…" she said weakly, not knowing what to do or how to stop the dreams.

"Hey!" she said louder, putting her other palm against his chest and pushing down. "Wake up, Kai!"

His hands locked around her wrists, his grip tight as she tried to pull away.

She looked at his face and noticed his deep worry lines and ragged breath as he was still lost in a dream. She tried to rip herself free of his grasp but he wouldn't budge.

An idea hit her like a freight dream; her thoughts hovering over it before they drifted off to sleep but now seemed like the best possible option. She vaguely remembered her book of sleep spells she used to read when she first discovered she was a witch. There were countless small sayings you could say to switch a person's dream, see what they were dreaming, or pull them out of one. She wasn't able to do this for herself since it needed to happen while the person was in REM but it may just work on him.

She pushed her hands up until they were around the sides of his neck, closing her eyes and mumbling the saying a few times over, imagining him getting pulled from his dream until she could feel her senses become overwhelmed by vertigo, everything going dark.

 _I stood in front of a large white house, two-story with a porch wrapping all the way around. It stretched wide in mass over height, the roof a combination of hips and valley's with small windows to peek out through and two chimneys on either side. Overall it seemed like a pretty quaint place. I glanced to my left at the large tree and noticed a treehouse high up near the leaves, the rope hanging down._

 _"_ _Weird…" I noted, walking over and pulling on the rope._

 _I climbed the ten notches all the way up, peeking inside at the few random things; comics, waters, but no pillows and blankets, and definitely no Kai. I made my way back down and headed for the house, walking aimlessly through the large rooms and not coming into contact with a single person. I check upstairs and head back down, walking out the backdoor and notice a large white shed off in the distance. I hop off the porch and head towards the back left hand corner of the yard, wondering how no one is home in such a big place._

 _"_ _Stop!" pierces through my ears, my skin breaking out in goosebumps at the voice I've come so used to hearing._

 _I run the last fifteen feet to the shed and glance into the window, my breath catching in my throat at the sight._

 _A teenage Kai is standing in the middle of the shed, shirt off, hands raised and holding onto a metal bar. I watch an older man walk around him in circles, speaking too quietly for me to hear. I look at the door next to me and open it a crack, Kai's yelling drowning out any noise the door or I could have made._

 _"_ _I'm trying to help you, Malachai," she heard the man that must have been his father say. He stopped in front of him. "You're 16, you should have gotten your powers by now. If they won't come to you naturally, maybe there's a way we can push them out of you from within."_

 _A loud gruff left his lips before gritting his teeth, his father continuing his walk until he ended up behind him._

 _He raised his hand in front of him and with a flick of his wrist Kai yelled out in pain, his wrist flicking back and causing the same reaction. I squinted to look at his back and my mouth dropped open, deep red slashes were flittered across his raw skin._

 _"_ _Are you willing to fight for it?"_

 _Two more slash marks magically appeared._

 _"_ _I said do you have what it takes, Malachai?"_

 _"_ _Yes!"_

 _Another slash mark appeared – deep - and he yelled out in rage._

 _His father walked back around, bending to be eye level with Kai's slumped posture._

 _"_ _You need to fight harder, be stronger. Do you want your sister to take you out without any real chance? Do you want to live the rest of your life as this abomination, this monster?"_

 _I heard another sharp crack and a growl deep in his chest, his knuckles and hands white from gripping the bar so hard._

 _I heard myself whimper, wanting to help him and without a second thought took a step closer, the door creaking with me._

 _Both stopped and looked over at me, Kai slowly dropping his hands back down and their coven leader giving me a dark look that had me shiver on the spot._

 _"_ _Josette," he smiled, lifting his hand and gesturing me to come forward. "Come in for a second, would you?"_

 _"_ _No," Kai said in a disgruntled voice, his eyes groggy from his injuries but the fire quickly coming back._

 _"_ _Oh, not to be alarmed Jo, we're just going to try another test. We've discussed that twins have the strongest connection emotional and magical alike, but nothing we've tried thus far has stuck."_

 _He walked over and grabbed my forearm, pulling me with a bit or urgency into the middle of the room where Kai is standing. He looked up and I reached out instinctively, lifting him from his slouched forward position until he was standing up straight._

 _"_ _The best way to trigger a response from someone is through pain – physical pain. Agony that makes you feel so white-hot inside that it erupts out of you, a physical force of its own. I believe this is how we will break through to you, Malachai; your pain is what drives you."_

 _I stared at Kai's face and felt my heart thud heavily in my chest, a piece of me feeling true devastation for the person I've gotten to know over the months._

 _He grabbed hold of my forearm again, Kai's eyes trailing down too._

 _"_ _Surprisingly, you've come to have a pretty high threshold for physical pain, so I propose we take a break from that today and try something we haven't touched upon in a little bit; mental._

 _He tightened his grip a fraction and my skin started to burn where his touched mine._

 _I cried out from the shock, trying and failing to pull my arm out of his grasp._

 _"_ _Stop it!" Kai yelled, trying to rip his father's hand away from mine and getting blown backwards into the wall, landing on a pile of kid's toys. His father lifted his other hand pulling him back up on his feet and pinned him against the shed, the continuous burning causing my vision to blur._

 _"_ _Leave – her alone," he spat through gritted teeth, trying with little success to move forward._

 _"_ _Both of you concentrate on each other, let your emotional connection fuel your magical connection. Feed off of what you're feeling; the physical and mental anguish."_

 _He gripped my arm tighter and it felt like third degree burns were rushing up my arm, my feet giving out from under me and leaving me gasping._

 _"_ _You can stop this right now but you have to try harder!"_

 _Kai looked back and forth between his father and I, the fury in his eyes blazing as he tried to break through his magic. He yelled out at the top of his lungs, his entire body shaking through the barely contained rage spilling out of him. As hard as he fought with his strength and whatever concentration he could hold onto, no magic erupted out of him._

 _With a sad sigh, his father opened both of his hands; the burning dissipating and Kai collapsing back down onto the toys._

 _"_ _How do you expect to lead this coven, when you can't even fight for yourself or your sister?"_

 _He took a few steps toward him, towering over him at this angle._

 _"_ _You're weak, Malachai, and you will lose."_

 _He turned back towards me to speak but was close-lined to the ground, Kai's fist connecting with his nose and hearing a loud 'crack'. Blood exploded from his nostrils down his shirt and over Kai's hand._

 _"_ _Well what do you know," Kai laughed, "he bleeds!"_

 _He stood from his crouched position over him and ran towards me, checking my arm before pushing me towards the door._

 _"_ _Go, Josette, I'll be fine."_

 _I stayed frozen in the doorway, refusing to take the last step backwards. I reached out to grab his forearms._

 _"_ _Come with me!"_

 _"_ _I'm right behind you, just go."_

 _My eyes widened as I saw his father stand up, Kai glancing behind him quickly before pushing me back the last step._

 _"_ _Run!"_

 _He pushed the door closed and it locked, not budging no matter how hard I threw myself up against it. I beat my fist against the door, kicking it when nothing happened. I turned and leaned my back against it, staring up at the sky. The sun got brighter with each passing second, my eyes closing and arm going over to shield myself before I was encased by a flash of light._

They both woke with a gasp, Bonnie still leaning over him with her hands on his neck and him gripping her wrists. Before he could fully wake up he flipped her over and had her arms pinned next to her head. She didn't say anything or try and fight him off, giving him a moment to wake up.

He blinked a few times and stared down at her, letting go of her wrists as he leaned back.

"What were you - did you just have your hands around my neck?"

"Kai…" she couldn't even see the person in front of her, his memory flashing through her at lightning speed, taking charge of her body and causing her hands to shake. "Your dream-"

"I don't want to talk about my dream," he raked his hand through his hair before getting off the bed and walking into the bathroom.

She quietly got up and followed, finding him leaning against the counter over the sink with his head down.

"Your memories," she tried again. "I-I did a spell to try and pull you out of your dream because you were making noises and I couldn't wake you up."

"Didn't work," he mumbled, turning on the sink and splashing his face with water.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you. I thought I was doing a spell to pull you out of a dream, but I accidentally did one that pulled me in."

His eyes flickered up to hers through the mirror, a dark look crossing his face.

"What did you do?"

"I-" she stuttered and stopped, taking in his angry expression as he turned to face her head on. She took an involuntary step back, not knowing if his anger is directed at her or from what she just witnessed.

"I was trying to help Kai, I swear. I haven't read the spells in years and they were really similar."

He stalked towards her and she walked backwards into the room until her leg hit the end of the bed.

"So you have the option of telling me about yours but you can just rifle through mine and see what you find?"

 _Too angry_ , she thought, his hands still shaking uncontrollably.

"It wasn't on purpose," she tried to keep her voice calm, knowing if she took on the defense tactic this situation could turn ugly fast. "But what I saw – that memory – did that really happen?"

His nose flared as he stared down at her, his hands in fists at his side.

"I don't know what you saw."

"Yes you do! You were in it, _I_ was in it."

"You're imagining things."

She stared up into his eyes, waiting a moment before speaking.

"Kai, I was there. I saw you… and your dad. I was peeking through the door of a shed; I think I was watching it happen through Jo's perspective."

She watched the color drain from his face as shock registered; knowing she would have seen the entire thing from his back, to bringing her into it and the fight at the end.

He took a step back, and then another. She reached forward and grabbed his arm pulling him forward.

"Bonnie, don't-"she felt his arm shaking from adrenaline or rage, not too different from how he looked when he was pushed up against the shed. She pulled him towards the bed and stood in front of him, pushing him down to sit in front of her.

"Bad idea," he smirked, his fingers flexing against his knees.

"Just – stay. One second."

She ran into the bathroom and wet a wash-cloth with cold water, bringing it back out and standing in front of him.

"So this is a little bit of old-school, with a kick."

She pressed the wash-cloth onto his forehead and held his head in place by cupping the side of his neck, the heat radiating off him in waves. She closed her eyes and started mumbling under her breath, the cloth heating up the longer she went until she could feel it burning against her hand. She took it off and dropped it next to her, reaching back and feeling his forehead and other side of his neck; his body temperature cooled down immensely.

"Hm, neat trick," he murmured. "Could have used that once or twice."

She smiled out of the side of her mouth, his outward exterior looking more at ease but his thoughts still raced around his dark eyes.

She stared into his eyes, her hands still around the sides of his neck as she tried to logically sort out what was happening. A part of her is yelling to step away and give him space but a spot deep within her is urging her to crawl onto his lap. She couldn't decipher what her brain was trying to tell her.

"Your dad abused you," she frowned, knowing this information already from hearing him say it but seeing it was much more difficult to come to terms with.

"My dad liked to teach me lessons, every chance he got." He smirked. "He was trying in his own twisted ways to make me stronger."

"No," she thought, angry at the sheer mention of his father in a good light. "He was just twisted, period. He pushed boundaries, and crossed the line, and this was just one time!"

She inhaled sharp at the thought of it.

"Were there more times like that?"

He cocked his eyebrow and turned his head to the side, letting out a deep breath.

"It was a long time ago, Bonnie."

She blinked once and the next time she did her vision was blurred by tears. She gasped at her own reaction; not even knowing she was feeling this strongly that her anger brought tears to her eyes.

Before he could look up and see her face she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, pushing the side of her head into his and leaning him back so she could crawl into his lap.

He _oophed_ at the sudden movement but easily scooped up her legs and draped them over one side, her butt on his other thigh. She felt his hands snake around her side and rub her back.

"Are you comforting _me_ right now?" she asked against his neck.

"You look like you could use it," she could hear his smile through his words.

She nuzzled her face back into his neck and started rubbing up and down his back with her fingernails. She felt him relax under her touch and pressed her flat palms against him, roaming around.

"Do you have scars?" she muffled. She didn't want to ask but she had to, seeing how brutal the slash marks on his back were when they were fresh.

"No," he said lowly, "Josette healed them."

She took in a deep breath, at least one small part of her mind at ease that he doesn't have the physical marks on his skin as a reminder. She continued her search to be sure but couldn't feel any raised marks.

She felt his hold on her tighten and she couldn't help but do the same; her compassion for anyone in pain being one of her greatest weaknesses and now she had the rare opportunity of witnessing a glimpse of what was causing it. She felt her heart thud heavily and breathed in deep, trying not to let a sob escape.

"You're freaking me out," he laughed. "All this affection, I feel like I'm dying."

She snorted into his neck, bumping the side of his head with hers before lifting hers to look at him a few inches away. He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple visible even in the dim light. Her gaze traveled from his throat to his lips and froze, her thoughts and actions feeling heightened. She pictured crashing her lips into his and tumbling onto the bed, covers getting thrown about as he lets out his aggression and she works through her raging thoughts… her body pressing into his –

Her breath hitched and she put her hand over his mouth, his eyebrows shooting up before she could hear his laughter. She looked at what she was doing and joined in on the humor, dropping her hand back down and resting her head against his shoulder.

"Say something you didn't want to hear?"

"Something like that," she mumbled, looking over his shoulder at the clock.

"On the plus side, you managed to sleep through the night," she attempted to say in a chipper tone. "I mean 7:30's still pretty early but at least its daylight."

"Ah, where would I be without you to get me through the night?"

She smiled to herself, wondering the same thing about him.


	19. Chapter 19

She didn't have to be a genius to figure out Kai was avoiding her, but damned if she'd let him be able to so easily. After his dream he went out for a run; something she hadn't noticed him do often but when he came back two hours later shirt slick with sweat and not winded or dying from heatstroke, she had to assume that was something he usually did with his spare time.

He blew past her for a shower, not saying anything as he locked himself away for another hour. When he came down to make lunch the marks under his eyes looked darker and he looked pale. She rounded the corner of the island, him not-so-subtly trying to avoid eye contact as she reached up to grab the sides of his face.

"What are you doing?" he leaned his head away from her touch against his forehead.

"I'm seeing if you're warm, you don't look well."

She felt his forehead and neck.

"Kai you're burning up, do you feel okay?"

"I'm fine," he smirked. "I don't get sick."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I've been here for what seems like a lifetime and I've never gotten sick; can't even catch a cold in this weather."

She looked over his pale complexion, fatigued state and uneasy stance.

"Well, I'm looking at you right now, and I'm telling you you're sick."

"Impossible," he shrugged.

He finished throwing together the chicken salad from the leftovers from the other night, put some on bread with lettuce, cheese, and pepper and slid it over to her. He leaned off the counter and headed for the door.

"Aren't you eating?"

"I'm not hungry," he murmured as he turned the corner out of sight.

She stared down at the food then back at the doorway, knowing something was definitely off. For Kai to look sickly and pale when he's been healthy for the last 20 years is reason enough for concern, but him not being hungry? She shook her head, taking a bite of the sandwich and knowing this wasn't the end of their conversation.

His tactics for avoiding her were amateur to say the least. She's come to know of his favorite spots in the house and after a while found him in one she is equally fond of; the library. He was lying on the couch the same way she found him so many months ago with Damon; eyes closed and pretending to be asleep. The major differences of the outward appearance and the person on the inside were not lost on her as she raked him in and felt the invisible pull to be at his side.

"You are the most frustrating person I know."

"Me? Try spending five minutes with you."

"I am a joy to be around," he mumbled, his eyes still closed. "What I find to be so very exasperating about you is that half the time you want nothing to do with me, but the times I go out of my way to leave you alone you're right there by my side."

He opened his eyes and his dark gaze bore into hers.

"Why do you think that is?"

She hadn't given it much thought but he wasn't wrong; the few moments she's felt him pull away from her she's pushed forward and pressed her own limits.

"Boredom," she shrugged, not wanting to think too much about the answer.

"Doubt it," he smirked, lifting his arm and resting it over his forehead. "You can't stay away from me, I know."

She rolled her eyes, shaking her head at herself for even seeking him out.

"I just want to make sure you aren't going to croak out on me," she mimicked, replaying his words back at him when she wasn't eating or sleeping over her nightmares.

She walked up to him and sat on the coffee table in front of his stomach. He glanced over at her underneath his arm and she pushed it out of the way, placing her hand in its place and feeling her palm burning. She sighed and looked back over him, any sign of physical injury that could be causing this fever.

"Have you noticed any scratches or rashes pop up since you started feeling like this?"

"Nope."

She scratched her chin, her hand dropping back in her lap with a thud.

"Are you sure? Take off your shirt, maybe there's something on your back that you didn't see."

"There's nothing on me, Bonnie. You're overreacting, nothing can happen to me."

She gave him a skeptical look and left the room, going to the kitchen to grab a wet wash cloth and a couple aspirin. She looked to the cabinet next to the medicine cabinet and popped it open, seeing if there was anything light he'd want to eat. She saw a can of soup on the top shelf and climbed onto the counter to get it, grabbing a bag of Saltines before hopping off. She heated it up in the microwave for a few minutes while she grabbed a water bottle, scooped everything up in her arms and headed back to the library.

She found him with his arm over his eyes, breathing heavy, starting to fall into a deep sleep. Slightly hesitant from wanting him to get some sleep but too nervous about what he could slip into, she picked up his arm and dropped it back on his face.

"Mmph," he mumbled, rubbing his nose. He squinted through the light overhead and looked at her, then all the stuff on the table. A smile crept across his face.

"What's all this?"

"Soup, and crackers. And this," she shook the pill bottle.

He smiled and she moved the tray out of the way, sitting on the corner closest to his head and rested the wash cloth across his forehead. She pressed her hand against it and started mumbling the chant, the cool cloth slowly heating until it burned to the touch. She lifted her hand quickly, swiping it off his head with her fingers.

"Ow," she waved her hand a few times in the air. "How are you so hot?"

His smile flashed and mouth opened before she put her hand over it.

"Warm! Burning up, I realized my mistake the second it came out of my mouth."

She felt him laughing against her hand before pulling away, his bright smile underneath. She shook her head and reached for the soup, holding it in her lap and looking at his slouched posture.

His eyebrows crinkled. "What are you doing?"

"I… don't really know," she admitted. "I have a soft spot for people when they're sick. I turn into a Mother Hen, feel the need to nurse them back to health. I really should have made a career out of it."

She reached over for the crackers and put some around the plate, taking a handful and crunching it into the soup.

"Do you like chicken noodle?"

"Yeah…"

"Good, it was this or tomato and that just does not sound appealing."

She stirred it around with the spoon, blowing on it to cool it down. She lifted a spoonful over the bowl and looked into his bewildered eyes.

"What, no one's ever made you soup before?" she snorted.

Her smile faded when his confusion didn't, dropping the spoon back into the bowl.

"What did you used to do when you were sick?"

"I wasn't, usually. When I was I just… waited it out, I don't know."

She looked down at the soup, her throat suddenly feeling tight. Bonnie grew up in a world where simple kind gestures were second nature; from soup when you aren't feeling well to helping carry in the groceries and she couldn't fathom living in a world where it didn't happen. She looked over at him eyeing the soup and tried to swallow past the lump that formed.

She scooted closer to him and told him to lean up slightly; he obliged. She could feel him staring at her as she stirred the soup again and lifted up a spoonful, blowing on it before bringing both items closer to him.

"Yum," he smiled through a mouthful, pushing himself up a little more to sit comfortably.

They went back and forth, side comments being their only conversation until the soup was gone.

She looked around the room at all the books that will go unread for years to come and fell back on his wide grin.

"Why are you smiling at me?"

"You just did something nice for me, for no reason or benefit to you. That seems like a big step from how we used to be, don't you think?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself," she laughed, "like I said, I have a soft spot for the sick and injured."

"Mhm," he murmured. He swung his legs over so their postures were mirror images across from each other.

"I think I'm growing on you."

"Well I don't feel the urge to kill you and flee the scene, if that's what you mean."

"No, it's not," he smiled. "But that is reassuring."

She shook her head, reaching over to grab the pill bottle and toss it in his lap, followed by the water. She got up and walked over to one of the bookcases, eyeing the spines of all the books. She picked up one, looking at the cover before turning back in his direction and finding him directly behind her.

She gasped quietly and pressed her back against the bookcase, one side of her blocked by a wall as his arm caged her in on the other.

"It's strange, I like to be around you and I catch myself doing things to get closer but I feel like there's been this voice in the back of my head that's keeping me away."

She breathed in slowly, trying to focus on what he was saying over the sudden close proximity.

"Whose voice?"

"Would you believe me if I said it sounded like my father?"

Her eyes shot up to his, eyebrows drawn.

"I know, weird right? First he wasn't a common thought now I can't get him out of my head."

She couldn't shake the uneasiness that crept up the back of her neck.

"What does he say? Has this ever happened before?"

"Definitely hasn't happened before," he rested his forehead against hers with his eyes closed; she kept hers open.

"It's like a war within myself; the more I want something," he grazed the hand that wasn't leaning against the wall up her arm. "The darker the thoughts get."

"And what do you want?" she breathed.

He opened his cloudy eyes as his hand traveled down her hip and leg, hitching it up at her knee and leaning against her.

"I'm pretty fond of this girl who just fed me soup."

She felt him roll his hips into her and had to bite her tongue from moaning. She reached forward for his t-shirt, fisting her hands around the collar.

"What are your dark thoughts telling you?"

"Nothing I want to hear," he said lowly, his lips an achingly close distance thanks to their foreheads touching.

Even with her thoughts trying to tell her all the logical ways for why she should not be in this situation, feeling these emotions, she still found herself doing just that. With each new piece he opens up about she feels drawn to him by an invisible tether; strong and with force leaving her with her guard down and defenseless against the oncoming attack.

"You're distracting me," she whispered, "what is going on with you?"

He _mm_ 'd as he lifted a shoulder, his hand tracing swirls across her outer thigh and leaving goosebumps all over her skin. She could feel her blood warming her up all the way down to her toes; her senses kicked into overdrive trying to hold onto an important conversation while her body craved greater needs.

"Kai, talk to me."

"I would really prefer to do something else," he laughed, his head dipping down to leave slow kisses against the side of her neck.

She felt her pulse jump in her throat and she breathed in sharp, her urges trying desperately to win against her logic. She felt his body tense as his grip tightened on her hitting her with a flush of heat.

"I can't – concentrate when you do that," she said as she raised her hands up his neck and toward his hair before realizing and ripping them back down. She pushed against his chest until he picked his head up and they were face to face.

"Come on Bon, I know you want to."

She could read the same hunger and desire that she saw in the darkened room and got to know personally in her dream. His want radiating off him in waves that her pheromones were responding to without a conscious thought. She could also feel his body head blazing into her, noticing her skin was starting to mist from sweat.

Even with that look in his eyes she couldn't oversee his slightly hazy complexion or the way his body seemed to lean flush against hers half to keep himself upright.

"Oh yeah, especially when you look like you're about to pass out at any second; that really does it for me."

"I could still get the job done," he smirked, his gaze never leaving hers.

She felt a chill inside, pushing him back farther until he dropped her leg.

She walked past him and started picking up the dishes before going for the door.

"Are you waiting for me to come onto you like I did in your fantasy? Because I will, I'll role-play the whole thing but I need a hint or a clue or something."

"Fantasy," she laughed as she headed out the door, him following as she turned the corner.

She wondered how long she'd be able to hold onto the dream before his relentless questions and innuendos broke down her patience. She wasn't nearly as mortified as she once was to tell him, she's actually more curious to see how he would react but that very reaction and her response had her skittish thoughts on edge.

"Wouldn't that be a neat trick," she hummed out loud, turning the next corner into the kitchen and putting everything in the sink.

She turned to find him leaning on his elbows on the island staring at her under hooded gaze. She felt her stomach roll in response, putting her hand in the same place hoping to appease it.

"What?" she asked with slight accusation in her tone.

"Nothing, you're just putting ideas in my head."

She groaned in frustration, not wanting to think about where that could land her in her near future.

"You give a guy some soup and you get trapped in his wicked ways," she shook her head at his words, his smile wide out of the corner of her eye.

She walked over to the fridge to grab a water for herself and another for him since he left the other in the library.

"Well since you aren't hogging Damon's room I'm going to take a shower. Throw on a movie and I'll be down in ten."

"Are you sure we both can't just hop in the shower, save water?"

She whacked him on the shoulder as she passed him on the way out the door.


	20. Chapter 20

"It's not happening," he said with finality, throwing the old sheets in a pile as he tucked the corners of the new one.

"Why not?" she huffed. "It makes sense! I'll go in and stop your dad, or drag you away or something and your dream will stop."

"You don't know that," he moved on from the sheet to the comforter. "You could become a part of it, or make it worse, or make no difference whatsoever and just watch it play out.

"No I think I could put an end to this," she said with confidence.

"Your optimism is adorable, but I don't think it's that easy."

"Well I'll give it a try and let you know."

"Bonnie," he pushed the pillow into its case and threw it roughly at the top of the bed.

"What is the problem?"

"Call me crazy, but I don't want you digging around my head."

She couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Kai, you've let me in on some pretty messed up things you've done and stuff from your childhood. I think I'll be fine."

He shrugged, going for the next pillow.

"I don't want you to."

"You would rather have nightmares?"

"There's nothing you can do, they're memories. You can't change the past. Just let it go, alright?"

She grinded her teeth before walking into the bathroom and started her nighttime routine. She'll let it go, for now, but she didn't plan on letting it go when she heard him freaking out at three in the morning.

She walked back out to find him face down in the comforter, his body stretched across from one side to the other. She walked around to her side and sat down so her feet dangled off the bed and leaned back; their bodies facing opposite ways. He reached over his head with his arm farthest from her and grabbed onto her knee, lifting his head onto her thigh right above.

"I'm sure you've heard this before but you're really comfortable," he murmured after a couple minutes of silence.

She smiled to herself, staring up at the ceiling.

"Thank you Kai," he mimicked in a high voice that sounded nothing like hers. "You're also really cozy, and an amazing cuddler, and the best person I've ever put my arms around."

She scoffed, leaning her head up slightly to look down at his snickering.

"Okay, I don't know for certain on the last one but I am sure of the first two," he smiled.

She shook her head, resting it back on the bed and closing her eyes.

"Your ego really surprises me sometimes."

"Oh you would expect modesty? I mean I _have_ to let everyone in on how astounding I am; they need to know what they're getting themselves into."

She laughed out loud, her foggy state starting to dull her senses. She felt herself drifting deeper and rolled over, Kai's head hitting the bed with a thud.

"I don't think you made the bed for us to fall asleep laying crisscrossed on it."

She climbed up higher to the pillow and pulled back the comforter and sheet, pulling it all the way down and over Kai's slumped figure; he didn't budge.

"Next step is kicking you in the head," she taunted.

" _Rmph,"_ he rolled himself out from underneath the sheet and dragged himself over to his spot, pulling off his shirt before getting under the covers.

He closed his eyes and pulled her into him, her head tucking under his and making full contact with his heat slicked skin and felt his body slightly shaking.

"Turn around," she thought out loud, an idea coming to mind.

"Why?"

"I thought of something that might help."

"Do it like this."

"I don't know if I can get my arms around."

He lifted his arm up so she could wrap it around his side, reaching his back easily.

"Oh, okay I guess this works but it's only one handed so it won't be as good."

"Mhm, I've heard that before."

She slapped his back with a loud _smack_ before laughing, feeling his laughter through his chest. Her hand drifted up and down his back, her nails gently drawing swirls and lines all over.

"Mmm," he breathed out, the deep noise vibrating in his throat.

She glanced in front of her to his neck and felt hers close on impact, her chaotic thoughts taking her from 0 to 60 in one gesture. She let out a huff of breath against his Adam's apple and he tightened his hold. She breathed in slowly, closing her eyes to block out how one wrong move could completely shift the atmosphere between them. She continued her gentle caress from his shoulder blades, as high as she could reach to the small of his back.

"That feels good," he mumbled, his breathing even and for the first time in days didn't feel like one giant muscle.

"My Grams used to always do this before bed when I was a kid," she smiled. "She did it so much that I couldn't go to sleep without someone doing it for the longest time; it's the only way I could relax."

"I can see why," she heard through his smile, pulling his arm out from under the pillow and landing on her head; scratching her skull and running his fingers through her hair.

"This was my method of relaxation."

"It's effective," she reassured, her eyes already feeling heavier as her nails dragged against his skin.

"You know," she thought out loud, "I do hope you stop being sick soon, but I kind of like this softer side of you."

She felt his chest laugh once against hers.

"It's there, just hidden under a mountain of other better qualities that take front and center. Like my charm and dark humor, for example."

"Debatable," she argued, but oh what a debate that would be.

She continued her gentle glides across his back until his hand slowed to a stop in her hair, his breathing even as he fell asleep.

She tried to tell herself to stay awake, and when that seemed to be failing reminded herself that she was going to be woken up by one of his nightmares and not to jump into panic mode.

-x—x—x—x—x-

 _Well that didn't work_ she thought as Kai's frustrated groan shocked her out of her sleep, her heart racing as she looked him over. He leaned away from her as a hand reached up and gripped his hair near his temple, teeth clenched. She felt her vision blur from a flash of anger against his father that still had the power to hurt him even after all this time.

She turned on her hands and knees next to his hip, hovering over two waging thoughts; hers vs. his. She knows she shouldn't invade his privacy, especially after he told her not to – but she couldn't shake the feeling of not wanting to see him vulnerable and defenseless against this man. She debated her options, and after fifteen seconds and one angry grunt out of his lips, she was leaning over him and wrapping her hands around the sides of his neck. She shook her head at how much she was probably going to regret this, and started the chant.

 _I found myself in front of a large white house – Kai's childhood home. I wasted no time as I ran around the side of the house straight for the shed._

 _I kicked in the door without stopping to look in the window first, finding a teenage Kai on his knees, clutching his head in agony as his father stood over him with his hand raised. He stopped and turned when he heard me, Kai leaning forward to catch his breath._

 _"_ _Josette?" he smiled. "I didn't know you were home-"_

 _"_ _Motus!" I yelled as I threw my hand out towards him sending him flying backwards into the wall._

 _I ran and bent down in front of Kai, lifting his head to see for any physical damage._

 _"_ _Come on," I urged, "we have to go."_

 _I felt his father's hand wrap around my bicep and pull me up, swinging me around to face him._

 _"_ _The Bennett witch?"_

 _I stood momentarily stunned, not able to comprehend what was happening._

 _He looked over at his son and with a flick of the wrist he was out cold._

 _"_ _Why are you here?"_

 _"_ _What are you talking about?"_

 _"_ _How did you make it into Malachai's subconscious? You shouldn't be here."_

 _"_ _I don't understand what's happening right now," I rushed out. "Aren't these his nightmares?"_

 _"_ _Memories," he corrected, "It's all part of the plan."_

 _"_ _What plan?"_

 _"_ _The plan to make sure he never gets out. Bonnie this is very important; Malachai cannot be let back out into the world he will cause chaos and devastation like he has done before. When I heard about the new circumstances of a Bennett witch alone in the prison world with him I knew it wouldn't be long until he found his way out."_

 _He took a step closer._

 _"_ _I've been working on a spell to weaken him from the inside; nightmares and voices in his head, hallucinations and outbursts that will break him down physically. I didn't have the means to do this 20 years ago but I can now, I can stop him."_

 _My head spun as every piece of information triggered different emotions from confusion, to rage, to fear. I stared into his father's eyes – not a dream version of the man – and felt heat simmering under my skin._

 _"_ _You did stop him. You locked him away in a prison after he did something awful and he's had to live with it for 18 years."_

 _"_ _It's not enough," he pressed. "He's too dangerous. Your friend Damon informed me on what he's done and said while he was there, the fact that he hasn't killed you by now to escape on his own means he is up to something more sinister."_

 _"_ _Y-you talked to Damon?"_

 _"_ _He sought me out to warn me about my son and I'm glad he did before it was too late. You will still be able to get out of there and back to your friends, alone, but I need a little more time."_

 _"_ _For what?"_

 _"_ _For the spell to be complete."_

 _"_ _And then what?" My vision was starting to get hazy as I kept my hold in his subconscious._

 _"_ _Then you'll be free," he smiled._

 _I tried to form the thoughts spinning around my head into sentences but all words seemed to fail me. How can I convince a man who has hated someone for the entirety of his life that through all of his bad choices, Kai wasn't the same person? How can I even say the words and believe them to the man who is Kai's first target?_

 _"_ _You're killing him," I said out loud as flashes of Kai's sudden illness and irritability hit me. "I know you're going to find this hard to believe, especially with everything Damon told you in I'm sure his usual fashion of exaggeration… but, he's – different."_

 _"_ _He's the same as he's always been."_

 _"_ _He's let me in on a few things that have made me question how terrible he could have been before-"_

 _"_ _Before he became a monster," he cut me off._

 _"_ _It's arguable who the monster is," I shot back before I could stop myself._

 _He squinted at me, turning his head slightly to the side as I felt the sudden urge to step backwards._

 _"_ _Caring about him will get you nowhere. His twin sister cared about him until he snapped and murdered their siblings, only then she saw him for what he truly is. Don't let yourself fall under that same spell; it will only end in pain._

 _I felt a quick but sharp pain in my chest hearing about Kai's relationship with his twin and how long they made it together. I was hit with a flash of an enraged Kai attacking his family throughout the house and tried to shake it away._

 _"_ _It won't end any differently for you," he said, staring intently down at me._

 _"_ _Stop it," I said through gritted teeth._

 _That sense of dread and fear when I first realized that the person Damon and I found was a murderer and we were stuck in his Hell was paralyzing me; my body frozen in place. I clenched my fists at my sides trying calming my senses, replaying countless moments from the last month I've spent with him._

 _"_ _If I didn't know him any better, I would have said the same thing."_

 _He shook his head and walked around me as he spoke, my feet still implanted to the floor._

 _"_ _I'm surprised Miss Bennett, I expected a powerful witch with her strong morals and sense of right and wrong to be eager to put an end to the person who has done such horrible things. And he is keeping you stuck in this limbo away from your home and friends. I am coming to you with answers and a way out of this place, isn't that what you want?"_

 _"_ _Yes, but-"_

 _"_ _Then it's settled," he interjected. "Don't cause any alarm or try anything foolish and you will be home shortly, safe and sound."_

 _"_ _And if I'm feeling foolish?" My brain told me not to speak as my heart pounded but the words spilled out before I could control it._

 _I saw a flash of anger that Kai must have become so accustomed to._

 _"_ _Then there's a chance neither of you will be making it out of there."_

 _He snapped his fingers and everything went dark, pulling me back into consciousness._


	21. Chapter 21

She woke up with her hands around Kai's neck, still leaning over him. She pulled her hands away quickly and listened to his even breathing, no sign that he was jolting awake or trapped in a nightmare. She leaned back on her knees and put her hand over her mouth as she stared down at him, replaying everything that just happened. _His father is behind this?_ She went over the days since he first started having the dreams and the rapid progression of poor health and shift in personality that came along with it.

 _'_ _Your friend Damon sought me out…'_ she smiled sadly to herself, wondering what had happened to her fellow prisoner and what he was doing in the real world. The simple pleasure of knowing Damon was still fighting for her weighed heavily against the repercussions it's put against Kai, and the deadly turn of events for an outcome.

She sighed to herself and got off the bed quietly, slipping out the door before he woke up and headed for the kitchen. She spent the next twenty minutes in a constant battle of heart against mind as her thoughts played through every scenario that could happen depending which path she chose, and going over what she has had to endure up to this point.

When she found herself an hour and a half later, after a dazed shower in Stefan's bathroom still going over the same thoughts she felt like she could rip her own hair out. All she had done was given herself more questions and not a single answer solved. It was like a riddle that she couldn't figure out and it was eating away at her.

The heaviest question weighing on her mind was ' _what are you going to tell Kai?'_ Because, honestly, she didn't have the slightest clue and that was what she needed an answer to immediately.

She wanted to tell him what was going on; she's gotten to that point where she can tell him things and he does the same and there's this mutual – thing - between the two of them. She's even set up a few hypotheticals where she can justifiably say why she brought Kai with her to present day, and it doesn't make her queasy.

What _does_ make her queasy is the thought of holding on to this major secret; one that will ultimately end in Kai's death if she keeps it to herself. She was the first one to admit Kai and his killing sociopathic ways needed to be put down and she did it herself to ensure it – but the way she sees him has drastically changed since then.

She rounded the corner still lost and thought and found him in the kitchen cooking breakfast. She stopped mid-step and tried to slowly back away but he glanced up at her.

"Oh there you are," he smiled. "Scare you off in the middle of the night?"

She looked over his features and inwardly cringed at how much worse he looked. His eyes were dark and glazed with deep marks underneath giving him the look like he hasn't slept in days. He wore matching black sweatpants and a sweatshirt over a gray T and still seemed like he was cold. She glanced down at her own t-shirt and shorts in the comfortable weather and stepped closer, hovering in front of the seat at the island.

"No, I just got up early and didn't want to wake you. How did you sleep?"

"Surprisingly pretty good, I remember starting to fall into something but then it was just black and I didn't dream about anything."

She smiled, a small triumph coming over her at her attempt to pull him out of his nightmare being a success, even if it didn't go as planned.

He scooped the eggs and bacon on two plates, bringing them both over to where she was and sitting beside her.

"So, either you guessed that already or you had something to do with it," he nudged her elbow when she didn't respond or move to eat. "Bet I can take a guess on which one."

She smiled sheepishly, her thoughts still running on overdrive and not knowing what she wanted to tell him or keep secret.

"Yeah I might have had something to do with that. I didn't want to say anything since you didn't want me doing it in the first place."

"Hm," he thought. "I didn't want you to do it because I thought you might make it worse, but, maybe I was wrong."

She looked to her side at him as he spoke, picking at his eggs before going for a piece of bacon.

"I mean it's a rare occasion, maybe once every decade or so – but it does happen."

She rolled her eyes and grabbed a piece of bacon, her stomach turning at the thought that _maybe I did make it worse_ before she could take a bite.

She stayed quiet as she picked at half the food, her thoughts and sudden onset nausea taking away from the delicious smells. She threw out what was left on her plate and headed for the living room with him trailing behind.

"What is going on with you?" He asked after ten minutes of silence.

"Hm?" she asked, lost in thought.

"You're acting weird, have you noticed? I have, it's pretty obvious and all over your face."

She glanced at him and back at the TV, so sidetracked in her daydream that she had forgotten he was still in the room.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," he turned so one of his legs was resting against the cushion.

"I know I asked this before, but, what do you plan on doing to your coven when you get out of here?"

"Why?"

"Call me curious."

He stared at her, a genuine look of confusion spreading across his features.

"Because if I remember correctly," she went on when he didn't, "I seem to recall you saying something about an excruciating death."

"I'm surprised you remember that," he laughed. "That may have been a slight exaggeration; I don't need the whole coven to suffer, where's the fun in that? And I do need a coven to lead after all."

"You still plan on merging with Jo?"

"After a chat with my father," he smiled.

"But," she got up from the couch, pacing in front of the coffee table. "You'll kill her. And your dad, and probably everyone who performed the ritual that night."

Her thoughts kicked up another notch to panic mode as she felt a wave of dizziness hit her.

He leaned forward, his arms resting against his thighs as he closed his hands together.

"What's going on?"

"Kai…"she hesitated before looking over at him rising slowly, stepping around the table towards her.

She backed up quickly and stood behind the couch putting distance between him. He raised his eyebrows.

"No, really, what are you doing?"

 _Panicking_ she answered internally, her scattered thoughts tipping her actions into a frenzy.

"Just let me think for a second," she breathed, her hands resting against the back of the couch.

 _How am I going to be able to spend the next few days with him as he gets worse if I can't even get it together right now_ she argued internally, her head dropping momentarily in aggravation.

When she lifted it back up he was standing at the end of the couch a few feet to her side. She pushed herself away to the other side but he was faster, wrapping his hand around her bicep and pulling her into him.

"Bonnie, what's wrong?"

She felt her eyes start to water from being so overwhelmed with emotions; her brain wanting to physically split in half over her contradicting thoughts. She looked down and tried to push him away but his grip on her tightened, turning her so she was between him and the back of the couch; she was trapped.

"Kai, stop."

"I will, after you tell me what the hell is going on."

"I'm thinking about everything," she tried to keep her voice strong as she stayed looking down at their chests being an inch away.

"Okay," he pressed.

"And… I'm terrified. I couldn't let you leave before, because I knew what you were capable of doing. I've gotten to know you better since then but, you plan on killing people when you get out of here. I don't – I can't-"

He tried lifting her head under her chin but she looked away to the side, her emotions trying to fight its way out of her body the only way it knows how; unexpected and at the worst time.

He let go of her arm and put both hands on the back of the couch, leaning down until he was eye level.

"I don't plan on hurting you. Or anyone else you care about for that matter, but my coven and I have unfinished business. If my timeline adds up then the other twins are turning 22 soon and that's my only opportunity."

"You can't just let it go?" she looked into his eyes, pushing at his shoulders while his posture stayed the same. "Take being able to leave this place as reason enough, and not go off on your vengeance path?"

He looked back and forth between her eyes, his eyebrows drawn as he took in her expression.

"This was why I was born Bonnie, I am next in line to lead my coven and I'm not letting him take it away from me twice. If there was any other way, I would choose it, but this is how it has to be done."

She turned her head away, swiping quickly at a tear falling down her cheek before crossing her arms. She stayed that way for at least a minute, feeling his eyes on her and refusing to meet his gaze.

"We have to leave soon," he said quietly.

Her head shot back to his, his expression almost fragile under his fatigued state. Her anger towards him, his father, and the situation she was trapped in pressed down physically against her; a headache already brewing in the back of her head.

"I don't know about that," she gritted.

"Why not?"

She knew saying one wrong thing could tip his feelings of confusion to rage.

"Do you really not understand why I would have trouble bringing you back into a world where you are going to start killing off people?"

"People you don't know, or have any connection to. You know me better than those people and you have tried to kill me, two times. You have no moral obligation to them, so yes; I don't understand why you're having trouble with this."

She kept her gaze on the wall next to her.

"I tried to kill you because I thought you were a terrible person."

"So are they."

"They didn't go around murdering their siblings!"

"No just sacrificing their children every generation."

She looked back at him, his slumped posture to meet her eye level giving the impression that he was somehow smaller and less intimidating. _Ironic,_ she thought, watching him let out a shaky breath and cough into his sleeve.

"Would you kill me to escape here?"

He shook his head, laughing in exasperation.

"Is that what it's going to come down to?"

"Say it was, would you?"

"Stop it Bon, let's just go home together."

"What if I can't?" she questioned.

His gaze grew even darker as she took note in his body tensing.

"I don't want to hurt you," he said lowly.

She stared into his eyes, knowing deep down she didn't want to hurt him either. She didn't want to leave him here to die, or have him be trapped for another 18 years. She's grown to not have a disdain for his presence around her all the time and has even wondered how that would play out in the real world.

Before she had a chance to register, Kai had gotten under her skin and now he was in her blood stream, flooding through her body and mind and becoming her source of energy; of power.

" _You know me,"_ he urged, standing up straight and leaning in closer to her.

"I don't know anything anymore," she shook her head.

"I'll wait, if that's what it takes to prove whatever it is you need to see, but I'm running out of time."

She bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes, knowing just how right he truly was. His hand grazed up her hip and arm to her shoulder, her chin trembling involuntarily at the contact.

His hand continued to the side of her neck, cupping it and lifting her head with his thumb. She could feel her vision getting cloudy as tears brimmed the bottom of her lids, trying not to blink so they'd disappear before they fell.

His look of concern was off-putting under their current conversation as his eyes searched her face trying to piece everything together.

"What aren't you telling me?"

She tried to turn her head away but his hand kept her locked in place.

"Kai, please…" she let out shakily.

"Tell me."

She tried to keep her hold onto the one strand that was left keeping her grounded, planted in her moral path.

He stood still; his hand on her neck, pressed up close as his face searched hers a few inches away, coaxing the truth out of her. She felt her control draining from her body leaving a deep chill in its wake.

"Your father-"she shivered, "is trying to kill you."

His gaze stopped roaming and locked into hers, her chest tightening and not letting her exhale.

"What did you say?"

His close proximity was making her feel claustrophobic, her air supply dwindling with each passing breath. She put her hand on his chest to give a gentle nudge backwards but it had no effect on him.

"Bonnie, what do you mean?"

"I feel dizzy," she whispered, her adrenaline hitting her so fast a wave of vertigo followed.

He sighed in obvious irritation, scooping her up and leaning over to sit her on the couch. He walked around and sat so close their knees were touching.

"Talk to me."

"I found him, in your nightmare," she started. "Not a dream version but the real deal. He's the reason why you've been having nightmares, and why you're sick. He's-"she tried swallowing but her throat was completely dry. "He's killing you, Kai."

"That's not possible," he said in disbelief. "I can't die here, I've tried; I always come back. I think if he could have by now he would have."

"He said something about not being able to before, didn't have the stuff. And… you didn't have a Bennett witch until now."

His eyes never left hers, the cloudy daze getting covered by white hot rage simmering under the surface. She could tell his teeth were clenched by his jaw sticking out and his slouched posture turned tense and alert.

"I have to get out of here."

"I know," she sighed.

"Did he say when, or how long it's going to take?"

"No, just that he needed more time to complete the spell. And not to intervene, or else."

He scoffed, his hand wrapped around his other fist, moving them restlessly.

"So did I pass your test, have you decided to take me with you?"

"I don't know. I haven't made up my mind."

He stared her down, one eyebrow cocked.

"Think harder."

She let out a deep breath, knowing she would inevitably find herself stuck in this moment but surprised at the other factors that were thrown into the equation. His father, his newer – better – self, and the way she felt about him were just a few that made the top of the list.

 _'_ _Don't cause any alarm or try anything foolish and you will be home shortly, safe and sound…'_

"Okay," spilled out of her, her heart winning the battle against her mind. She shook her head staring at him. "I regret it already, but okay, let's get out of here."


	22. Chapter 22

"Don't we need to get the ascendant first?" Kai asked as he trailed behind her in the woods.

"Got it," Bonnie nodded, the first sentence she's said since she decided she was really going to go back to Mystic Falls with him.

After the end of their discussion they both went their separate ways to pack a bag and grabbed the few things she'd kept close while being here; her notebook, teddy bear, and a couple of 90's outfits that she will definitely be bringing back in style. Shoving them all in a backpack she met Kai at the door, trying his best to act excited as he bounced from one foot to the other but the sweaty forehead and zipped up sweatshirt was an easy giveaway to his true form, his cough driving her point home.

"You're not contagious right?"

Kai looked at her through a dark stare and she smiled, walking to the door and heading out. Now Bonnie found herself on her perpetual day of May 10th; but this one felt 20 degrees warmer as her blood pressure was tipping towards scorching and head so full she thought she could fall over from being top-heavy. The snap of a branch behind her pulled her out of her daze, turning to Kai with his back against a tree leaning forward with his hands on his knees.

"Need a minute?" she asked walking back to where he was standing.

"No just need a drink." Reached down for his bag and slowly pulling unzipping it to grab a water bottle.

Looking overhead at the sky where the sun was settled, Bonnie's going-on-obsessive studying and detailing of the day let her know they had less than an hour until the eclipse, and still a half hour walk.

"Let's go," he chirped pushing off the treeand swinging his backpack over his shoulder.

The next twenty minutes seemed like two hours as Kai's slow pace and disoriented state was leaving him stumbling and stopping frequently.

"You're killing me Parker! Do you want to just sit down right here, watch the eclipse as it passes us by another day?"

"Funny," he huffed, his own aggravation at himself much worse than what she was feeling.

Within five minutes they were at the opening of the cave, still a few minutes left to spare before she had to begin the spell. They both headed inside and he went straight for a rock, sitting down and dropping his bag. Bonnie eyed each of the rocks before heading over to one and crouching behind it.

"What'cha doing?" he asked, leaning over to see for himself as she leaned down farther and reached under a pile of leaves, pulling the ascendant out and blowing off the dirt and stared at him dumbfounded. "You're kidding me. It was here the whole time?"

"Yep," she laughed. "I figured you knew all the good hiding places in the house by now, and assumed I wouldn't be dumb enough to leave it in the one spot where it's the most powerful."

Kai blinked at her then back down at the ascendant before dissolving into laughter. "Bon, you really impress me sometimes."

"That means so much," she answered sarcastically, walking to the small circle of light and looking to the sky.

Bonnie could see him in her peripheral as he walked up and stood in front of her. "Think it'll end like your dream?"

"Which one?" She questioned without conscious thought, looking back down to his hooded gaze and shrugged, admitting to herself that it could have escalated if he wasn't looking so ill.

"Maybe if you think about it enough it'll come true," she teased.

"I think it would have happened by now then," he smirked.

"Never going to give up on it are you?"

Kai flashed his smile. "Not a chance."

Bonnie looked back down at the ascendant, momentarily thinking she needed to find something sharp before feeling the jagged edges along the side.

"Weird, in my dreams you were always holding a knife and the ascendant, and I never actually needed that to cut my hand."

"Hm," he contemplated. "Maybe you were given the option to kill me. Wouldn't do you much good but whatever makes you feel safe."

Bonnie pursed her lips, letting that new piece of information about her own nightmare sink in to the back of her mind. Shaking her head she sliced her palm in one quick movement before spilling blood over the center, Kai's hand grazing over hers and wrapping around her forearm locking in their connection.

Letting out a deep breath, a sudden queasy feeling hit her at the realization at what she is actually doing; she was going to let Kai out of his prison and back into her world - with all the repercussions against them, flashing every dream sequence scenario playing out before her eyes. Squeezing them shut Bonnie began mumbling the first verse of the spell before losing her nerve and heard the wind overhead pick up, Kai's hand tightened against her arm. Crinkling her eyebrows she kept her eyes closed, pushing through to the next line and feeling a slight wave of dizziness and heard Kai breathe in sharp and looked up at him quickly, his other hand reaching for his chest as his grip held onto her too tight.

"What are you doing?" Kai ground out.

"What?" Bonnie checked the position of the eclipse. "What are _you_ doing?"

Shaking his head he out a shaky breath and closed his eyes, staring at him a moment longer before closing her eyes as well. Starting where she left off the ascendant began to click and whir to life, going into the second verse as Kai made a terrible sound and gasped for air, grabbing her with both hands around her arms and shaking her once.

"Stop it!"

"I'm not doing anything!" she yelled back, trying to pull herself out of his grip and failing.

"I can't breathe every time you start the spell," he shot back.

"Well it's not me!" Bonnie huffed, a thought hitting her.

"Your father – he told me not to try and leave or stir up anything, I think this would count as both."

Kai growled deep in his chest. "Keep going."

"Kai-"

"Just do it."

Hesitating, his grip loosened slightly on her arms but still held her in place. Knowing she was running out of time Bonnie tried to race through the chant, mumbling but enunciating each word. Kai choked out a ' _keep going_ ' as she went into the third verse, his legs giving out from under him and landed on one knee with a hard thud. One hand pressed against his chest as his other held onto her wrist. Bonnie's vision blurred with tears from her overwhelmed senses mixing with power; vertigo hitting her so hard she ended up face to face with Kai on the ground. She looked up at the sun being almost fully eclipsed and felt an electric jolt hit her wrist where his hand was and breaking them apart.

"Shit," Bonnie yelled, reaching for her wrist. Kai was on his back, pushing himself to his side and breathing in quick gasps of air. Crawling over so she was in front of him she reached for his shoulder and felt another electric shock blowing her hand back. "Kai, what's happening?"

He shook his head, looking up at her with what she could only assume was fear in his eyes. "Can't – breathe –"

Attempting to grab his neck and say a spell to fill his lungs with oxygen she couldn't keep her hold on him for more than a few seconds, screaming out at the pain.

"My magic is pushing against someone else's – I can't break through it." Even through his jagged breaths he let out a laugh, the broken sound chipping off a piece of her heart and her posture deflated in defeat. "Please... breathe. This isn't nearly as satisfying when I'm not the one doing it."

Kai smiled and was hit with a fit of coughs; his breaths getting shorter and his eyes heavier and fell on his back.

"Now? NOW you're gonna do this?! Kai I-"her heart pounded heavily as her thoughts hit her with a deep realization. "I don't want you to die."

Bonnie watched his hand relax against his chest and eyes fluttered closed.

-x—x—x—x-

Bonnie couldn't really lift Kai's body and travel a mile through the woods with him over her shoulder, and she wasn't about to go back to the house without him so she chose plan C; running to the house and grabbing a bunch of stuff to hold her over. She walked back into the cave a half hour later with food, water, blankets and pillows, a lantern, and a book – like she'd really get any use out of that.

Walking over to where Kai was lying she sat in a ball near his shoulder, wrapping herself in a blanket before sitting and pulled her bag over grabbing her notebook and pen, doodling to try and distract herself and kill time. When she hit him with a pic-axe the first time she tried to kill him he wasn't out for more than a couple of hours, the same with when she had to stitch herself up in the hospital. She was hoping this would be the same, but the warning and ultimatum Joshua Parker gave her left a dreadful shiver up her spine to the back of her neck making her hairs stand on end.

Bonnie glanced down at Kai's face, her heart twinging in pain at the irony of how peaceful he looks; no dark circles, no worry lines. She reached out and hovered over his forehead, not too eager to get shocked again. She slowly pressed her index finger down, sighing in relief when nothing happened. She scooted closer to his head, grabbing the two small pillows nearby and sticking one under his head before leaning against the stone behind her and situating her own. She wrote scattered thoughts and sketches of anything that popped into her head for what seemed like ever, glancing down to see if he'd woken up more times than she'd like to admit.

"Come on!" Bonnie slammed her notebook down next to her, checking his watch and seeing it had been four hours with no change. She tried to think logically and calm her impatient mind as her frantic thoughts pushed worst case scenarios front and center.

 _What if he completed the spell? What if he succeeded in killing him this time? What if he never wakes up?_

Standing up to pace around the cave, her vision cloudy from the sudden onset of panic that racked her body. She tried to think of the bright side of finally being able to go home but her dark thoughts kept her planted in her overwrought mind.

The wind picked up as the sun started to set overhead and dragged herself back over to where he was and wrapped herself back up in the blanket, grabbing the other one and tossed it halfheartedly on him before plopping down where she sat last.

"Let's go," Bonnie nudged his shoulder with her foot. "Wake up."

An hour and most of the snacks later, she found herself in the same position.

" _Wake up wake up wake up,_ " she murmured as she tapped her foot against his ribs repeatedly.

Bonnie had tried shaking him, splashing some water on his face, and got to the point of yelling directly in his ear but nothing was happening. Placing the back of her hand against his forehead she felt a breath of relief taking note of how warm he still felt. After another twenty minutes she could feel her entire body shaking with nerves, her feet tapping anxiously from impatience and immobility.

Going across the cave to light the lantern Bonnie walked out the door to get some fresh air. The cold chill hit her bare skin instantly, knowing she should go back for her blanket but the shiver sent an awareness through her that was awakening her senses and paced around the entrance for a while before staring up at the moon, arms crossed lost in a daydream.

"You know you could get sick in this weather," she heard behind her as Kai's arms and a blanket curled around her.

Bonnie spun around and felt her face light up as she was hit with a flood of emotions knowing his father didn't succeed in killing him and felt her lips on his before she had a conscious thought of what she was doing; her gratitude of not being alone in this Hell surprising the both of them. After an initial moment of shock he reached up to the back of her neck, turning his head to deepen the kiss.

Her stomach flipped as she reached for his hair, the blanket around his shoulders seeming to encase them both and warming her all the way down to her toes. His other arm snaked around her waist pulling her flush against him and she felt her body pushing harder, trying to get closer. Kai lifted her with the arm around her waist and turned to walk back into the cave, finding the closest wall and pressing her up against it. Bonnie could hear all of her moral thoughts clashing with her new outlook and the contradictory tones sounded like a devil and angel on her shoulders. Unzipping his sweatshirt she pushed it and the blanket off of his shoulders, his shirt following after as she trailed her nails down his back.

Groaning low in his chest Kai's body surged into hers on instinct, her breath catching at the hard movement and leaned back to pull her shirt over her head before he was back on her. His hands trailed behind her back unhooking her bra and continued across her body leaving tingles everywhere he went; Bonnie's control rapidly getting pushed to the back of the line as adrenaline and pleasure took over.

"Touch me," she whispered as his tongue glided up the side of her neck.

"I am touching you," he murmured, his hands roaming from her sides to around her thighs and back.

Clenching her legs around his and pushing into him farther, her body got the point across where words fail her and Kai let out a harsh breath as his fingertips dug into her hips. Dropping her quickly and ripping down her bottoms in the same movement he picked her back up and leaned over her trailing his hand down her spine and around her butt, drifting lower until his fingers grazed her from behind. Jerking at the sudden intense feeling Bonnie pushed into his touch giving him easier access and the weather outside picked up as the wind roared against the entrance of the cave, leaves falling through the opening overhead.

Bonnie groaned as his hand fluttered across her; gentle at first then hitting her so deep she cried out. Kai's hips rolled into her nakedness and could feel him pressing firmly against her through the thin fabric, mimicking his movement and the feel of the cotton mixed with his expert fingers had her biting above his collarbone to try and stifle a moan. The hold on her tightened as he moved his hand back around in between them and pushed a finger inside her, then two, giving her no time to adjust.

Gasping out a hoarse sound as her thighs clenched, Bonnie's grip locked in his hair so tight she could move him with one slight nudge. There was no leisureliness as Kai's fingers hit her deep inside at a relentless pace; noises spilling out of the both of them and echoing off the walls. She saw her vision blur from the intensity as she closed her eyes; listening to his heavy breathing over her own panting, his deep noises stirring up something animal-like inside.

" _So much like my dream_ " Bonnie murmured against his lips, his groan being the only inkling that he heard her as her hands roamed restlessly across his body; digging in deep on his back every time he hit the right spot and getting rewarded with a rumble in his chest as he pushed into her harder. Her body buzzed with adrenaline and still had the need for more. "The rock,"

Breaking the kiss momentarily to see where the closest rock was Kai lied her down on it, one foot still on the ground as his other knee was on her opposite side. Pushing his fingers back into her Bonnie's breath left her in a gasp, the cool rock against her backside sending shivers coursing underneath her skin and heard a loud crack and thud outside as a large tree branch fell, the wind a constant buzz with the rustling of leaves. Dragging her nails down his chest to his sweatpants she slipped a hand underneath and into his boxers, the noise that came out of his throat somewhere between pained and pleasure, his body shaking on contact.

" _Bonnie_." grated out so low it vibrated through her, her hand gripping him tighter and pulling slowly up to the tip.

"Stop, or I'll fuck you right here."

Smiling slyly at him her pulse quickening at the thought of feeling what was so long and hard in her palm filling her completely; consuming her. Bonnie was hit with an overwhelming need to touch him, feel him lose control; bring him to the point of insanity where he's left her on account of the last few weeks. Flashes of her _sex dream_ played out in front of her as she reached back down to the base, gripping him harder as she pulled up and feeling his fingers curve. This new sense of power she had over him with the sheer magnitude of what was a fabric of clothing away was almost too much to resist.

"Not yet," she panted. "But I want to feel you."

Kai leaned down and pressed his lips to hers; everything intensifying as his gentle kiss contrasted against his rough touch and grazed his tongue over the roof of her mouth tightening her core around his fingers as he pushed in farther. Moaned through a flush of heat as sweat misted her body Bonnie's limbs started to stretch and move tirelessly as she felt her orgasm building. Pumping him harder she mimicked his pace but was stopped abruptly by his hand encircling her wrist and moving them over her head.

"Ladies first," he grinned, pecking her quick before kissing his way down her chest and stomach until he was kneeling before her.

Bonnie picked her head up the moment Kai was dropping his and the look he gave her almost had her lose it on the spot. Pushing his arms under her thighs he yanked her closer and pressed his lips to her forcing a guttural noise out of her mouth - husky with need. A burst of leaves gusted through the entrance almost knocking the lantern off the rock, the wind roaring so loud that the trees swayed against one another.

Running her hands through his hair and pulling at the roots Bonnie dragged her nails across his skull as he licked and sucked with ferocity leaving her so dizzy she was positive the room was spinning. Every neuron was firing as his tongue stroked over her clit and her back arched off the rock, legs shaking as her hand pushed his head away from the intense pleasure.

One of his hands loosened his grip on her thigh and reached for hers, holding onto it and pulling it back down to her hip and laced their fingers as her movements became more frantic; her body taking control and grinding into him until she cried out at the unexpected orgasm shattering the lantern on impact. Kai gripped her hand tighter as she rode out the waves, her body feeling an electric charge sizzling under her skin and out her extremities.

Glancing around the now blackened cave Bonnie tried to catch her breath as her heart beat a mile a minute, Kai's lips trailing back up her body leaving kisses all over and pressed his chest against hers as he sucked from under her chin to the side of her neck. Her senses were still alive with energy as power radiated off of her and leaned forward nibbling at the back of his jaw and ear, sighing as her hands trailed down his stomach into his pants; tugging at both his boxers and sweatpants but he thrust up into her.

"That's a dangerous idea."

Chewing on the inside of her cheek Bonnie contemplated her choices before loosening the strings to give her more room and pushed his boxers down as far as her arms went. Kai laid heavily against her and his entire body tensed when she wrapped her hand around his shaft, his breath leaving him in pants against her neck. He was so hard he curved up past his bellybutton and she hummed as she tightened her grip, pumping fast.

Lifting his head and resting it against her forehead Kai made gruff rasps as he grabbed a fistful of hair driving his hips into her fist and rubbing against her through the fabric, the carnal noises that were spilling out of his lips becoming one of her new favorite sounds. Licked her lips Bonnie moved her knees up pressing them into his hips to bring him closer; his movements starting to lose their steady rhythm as his body was firmly against hers. Gritting his teeth at her moans his body curled around her and felt his grip getting tighter with each shiver that racked his frame, pulling his lips down to her and biting down gently on the tip of his tongue causing his hips to move erratically before holding her in place and thrusting roughly a few times.

Bonnie could feel his heart vibrating through her chest from it thudding so loudly - a clear sign he is definitely alive- and his ragged breaths were huffed out against her neck as his head rested against her shoulder. Her hands trailed out of his pants and around his back drawling swirls to relax his trembling form. She felt like she had enough energy for the both of them and more; the magic radiating out of her fingertips onto his skin.

"Hmm," Kai hummed, his lips gliding along her collar to her neck still managing to give her goosebumps and lifted his head to look her in the eyes, her vision adjusting to the dark by now and landed back on his dark gaze. "That has to be one of the best _it's good to see you_ 's I've ever gotten."

Bonnie looked over his head, shaking hers and smiling. "Great."

"Definitely top three," he said cheerfully, looking up to his teeth shining back at her.

"Oh I'm glad I could make the list," she teased back.

Kai smiled and lean in to kiss her starting at a peck but growing deeper with each roll of his tongue; when he leaned back she felt breathless.

"What happened to the lantern?"

"I think the wind knocked it over."

"So was it just me or did I die the second I was finally getting out of here?"

"Yep, that actually happened – I guess your dad wasn't sugar coating it when he said we couldn't try to leave."

"And then he tried to kill me in his good old fashioned ways and he didn't succeed. I told you; I'm a survivor."

Bonnie couldn't help but grin back at his surge of confidence that his father hasn't beaten him but something still didn't sit right with her. "I kind of... worried for a minute. You were out all day, I wasn't sure..."

"Gee, I never could have guessed."

Smacking at the back of his shoulder at his nonchalance and boldness she could feel his chest moving against hers from laughter.

"I'm not going anywhere Bon, don't worry." His hand fluttered down her side from armpit to hip leaving a charge underneath her skin. "How can I, when we're having so much fun?"

Curled around him Kai dropped his forehead back on her shoulder, his hand still gliding across her side with shock waves. Bonnie has seen personally what Joshua Parker is capable of doing to his son, and what he would go through with to ensure he never made it back to present day and would have had to assume she would try to leave with his son and have a backup plan; not interfering with his initial plan. Kai would survive this and live another May 10th but his father's clear intentions were that he needed to be put down permanently. What if this wasn't his attempt to kill him, but a distraction?


	23. Chapter 23

By the time they made it back to the house it was somewhere in the middle of the night. Neither stopped for food or the bathroom as they headed for his bedroom, barely giving themselves enough time to pull back the sheets before they flopped onto the mattress and drifted to sleep.

Bonnie woke to the light hitting her eyelids from the open curtains, groaning and rolling over. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before replaying the events from the day before, popping one eye open to see 10:30AM on the clock next to her. Rolling back over to look at Kai she frowned; his pale face was coated in sweat and he had worry lines across his forehead. She waited a moment and didn't hear any pained or anxious noises triggering a nightmare but he still looked like he was in discomfort.

Sitting on her knees and unzipping his sweatshirt she felt his heat all the way through it, his shirt slicked with sweat in certain areas and she had to do a double take at how much worse he looked now compared to before he went to bed. Pulling one arm out of the sleeve and then the other, Bonnie moved him back when she noticed a mark on his wrist picking it back up to examine it closer and could have sworn it looked like a fresh brand, pink and raw. She tried to recall if she saw it the night before but knew she wasn't paying much attention to his wrists.

"Hey!" she smacked at his chest, him moaning in the back of his throat.

"Wake up," she smacked him again. "What's this on your wrist?"

"Hm?" he murmured

" _Your. Wrist._ " She enunciated. "Have you always had this?"

Kai opened his eyes slowly, rubbing them before lifting them both in front of his face. He looked at his left under his leather bracelet and sat up.

"It looks fresh," she said looking back down at a skin-toned brand. "Oh – it did look fresh. It was pink and looked like it just happened. Have you seen that symbol before? It kind of looks like a Roman numeral, or-"

"Gemini," he answered.

Bonnie studied the basic symbol of two straight lines down with a curved line for the top and bottom.

"What does that mean?"

"Probably not anything I'm gonna like," he shook his head.

He glanced at his shirt and pulled the sticky cotton off his chest.

"I'll be right back," he murmured as he headed to the bathroom.

When she heard the water turn on she hopped off the bed and paced the room, most likely going through the same thoughts as Kai.

 _Where did that symbol come from and why? What is his father up to? How is that going to affect him?_

After last night it is safe to say she feels somewhat invested in this person and his life, and she doesn't plan on watching him die again any time soon.

-x—x—x—x—x—

A couple of hours later her grumbling stomach pulled her out of her thoughts as she headed for the kitchen. She hadn't seen Kai since he got out of the shower but he seemed to be in a fog all of his own. When she turned the corner she found him leaning against the counter with his head down. His posture was tense and his eyes were closed, unaware that she was in the room. She stepped closer and saw the mark on his arm was burning red.

"Kai, your wrist-"she started as she went to touch his arm but he was quicker and had her pressed up to the fridge.

She saw someone she didn't recognize in his eyes as hatred flared back and his hold on her arms tightened.

"Stop it!" she yelled, pushing against his chest and kneeing him in the stomach when that didn't work.

He coughed and stepped back losing his grip on her, blinking a few times before looking back at her with wide eyes.

"What happened?" he asked, looking her over.

She stepped towards him and grabbed his wrist, noticing the mark was back to his skin-tone color.

"Okay, this symbol is messing with you. Or it's messing with me. This time I am positive it was red hot right before you – and you didn't look like you. What do you remember?"

"I don't-"he hesitated. "I thought I saw a flash of someone but then I blinked and it was you."

"Who did you see?"

His eyebrows drew down and he shook his head then checked his wrist.

She stood there anxiously from one foot to the other, unsure if she should move towards him, or away. The flash of anger that she caught a quick moment of was enough to leave her feet seared into the floorboards as he backed away.

"We don't have much to eat I'm going to run to the store, I'll be back soon."

She stayed silent, staring at the door minutes after she heard the car drive off.

By the time she heard the car pull up it was closer to dinner as the sun was setting, choosing to spend the day outside in her new little Oasis archway garden and spent most of it switching between reading and drawing in her notebook. Bonnie made her way inside and found him pulling things out of the bags and putting them on the island. She sat on one of the chairs and stayed silent for at least five minutes as he put things away, de-thawed the burger in the microwave and set up what he needed near the stove.

"So how was your joyride?"

Kai kept his back to her as he flipped a patty and sizzled. Her fingers drummed impatiently against the countertop, trying to be reasonable but her anxiety kept her on edge. She looked at the cup of utensils in the center of the island and picked up a small wooden spoon, chucking it at his back.

"Well hello," she said when he finally turned to face her. "Wasn't sure if you forgot I was in the room."

"How could I?" he smiled, walking up to the island to set the plates in front of him with the buns and lettuce.

Kai looked back and flipped the burgers once more before putting a piece of cheese on each and letting it melt. He pushed the condiments within her reach along with a bag of chips, putting both burgers on the buns and walking to where she sat. Putting down the plates and pouring two glasses of Coke Kai joined her and she decided to take a bite before trying to converse again – her mouth watering from the look of it and _mm_ 'd in delight. Glancing to the left at him and checking his skin-tone brand before looking at his face, she picked up a chip and tossed it at the side of his head.

"Want to let me in on what you're thinking?"

Kai stayed staring straight ahead before looking down at his plate, letting out a deep breath and turning his head towards her.

"I think something's wrong."

"Something like what?"

"I think I'm losing time."

She stared at him, the uneasiness creeping back into her.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well," he shrugged "its dark out, for one – not too sure of how my hour trip turned into an all-day task. And earlier, with you... something feels off."

"So," she tried to keep him talking while her mind flat-lined trying to figure out what was going on. "What do you remember about today?"

He shrugged. "Woke up, went to the kitchen, and went for a drive... four hours later found myself standing in the market."

"I don't understand."

"Nope," he bit into his burger, his eyebrows down in concentration.

"Do you think this has something to do with your dad?"

"Yep."

"What do you think he's doing?"

He shrugged.

"Are you just going to respond in noncommittal gestures and one word answers?"

He glanced over at her, a smile in the corner of his mouth.

"Maybe."

Bonnie rolled her eyes, going back to her burger and grabbing a few chips. She didn't say much else for the rest of the meal, glancing out of the corner of her eye at his rigid posture and far-off look like he was lost in a daydream and hopped off the chair to wash her plate before scooping his up when he didn't make any attempt to move.

"Now what?" she asked leaning back against the counter.

"I'm so tired," he mumbled.

"You're always tired," she leaned off the counter and walked over to entrance. "Do you want go up and sleep, or watch a movie? It might take your mind off everything for a minute."

Kai swiveled around in the chair and walked towards her and past without breaking his stride.

"Okay but I'm picking the movie."

"Let me guess, something scary from the 80s?" she asked keeping in step with him.

"Now you're getting it," he laughed.

Placing herself in her usual spot on the couch and pulling the blanket off the top and over her legs, Kao bent down and flipped through the movies before laughing and putting one in the VCR.

"Not quite like the one's you're used to, but this should make you feel more at home in _The Lounge de Salvatore._ "

Watching the credits roll over open water as _The Lost Boys_ displayed across the screen; followed four guys instigating trouble with people on a carousel and getting kicked out.

"Vampires and their emotions, never could figure out why they had to freak out over every little thing. You're dead, what's left to worry about?"

She laughed at his answer, replaying the countless over the top reactions out of Damon and all of her vampire friends.

"Guess they're trying to hold onto their humanity by stressing out over the inevitable."

"Sounds exhausting," he smirked.

They settled in and watched the first ten minutes without much chatter and she noticed he was leaning against his left fist with his eyes closed. She stared for a minute longer and watched the symbol start to heat up.

"Kai-"

Letting out a pained grunt Kai grabbed onto the side of his head, leaning forward and continuing his sounds.

"Hey-"she scooted forward and touched his shoulder and he turned his head to look at her, eyes turning frosty before turning the rest of his body and pushing her back.

Trying to scramble backwards and falling off the couch, Bonnie jumped up and spun around. He gripped the side of his head with clenched teeth and could see the burning red symbol staring back at her.

"Stop the spell!" he yelled.

Bonnie jerked back a step at his tone, the sound seeming to reverberate off the walls and felt her real first real jolt of fear since her nightmares – maybe even before.

"I'm not doing anything!" she yelled back, her hands raised in front of her to block any oncoming attack.

Looking over to the door on her left Bonnie went to take a step but he was faster, pushing her up backwards against the wall and putting his hands around her throat.

"I won't let you kill me."

Reaching for his hands to break his hold with a sad attempt, Bonnie stomped on his foot but not being able to lift her knee into him she felt her vision getting hazy and let go of his hands locking her elbow and driving it into his jaw.

"Motus," she said weakly when his hands loosened enough to get a breath of air in.

Kai flew backwards and went crashing onto the coffee table, shattering under his weight. Groan and coughing he tried to roll himself off the table and landed with a hard thud next to it, turning to look at her as she felt her feet involuntarily walking backwards into the next room away from him. His eyes wandered from her to the wall she was just up against and tried standing.

"Wait-"

Bonnie was out of the room and down the hallway before he finished his thought.


	24. Chapter 24

Bonnie didn't want to be so close to Kai's room but she found the one next door to be her new _bedroom away from bedroom_ ; the place where she could fall asleep comfortably and not wake up in a disoriented daze not knowing where she was. The main problem with the room is that the door didn't come with a lock and the guy who's having random outbursts was on the other side.

"I'm not letting you in," she said sitting down with her back pressed against the door, refusing to make it easy if he did try and walk in.

"I just want to talk to you for a minute."

"Nope," she chirped, "maybe another day."

"Bonnie please, I don't… know what happened. I saw-"he hesitated. "You know this would be a lot easier to do if I wasn't talking to an inanimate object.

"Too bad," she huffed.

She heard him sigh; a small thud of what was most likely his forehead leaning on the door.

"My head felt like it was exploding with aneurisms, and I couldn't see, let alone think, and when I turned back I saw my dad. And then he was standing five feet away, staring me down with his arms raised and the pain wouldn't stop. I was just… trying to stop him."

She reached up to her throat, her trembling breath giving away how shaky she really was. Her mind tried to process how the person who just put his hands on her so violently could be the same person who she spent half the night in the cave with. How his eyes that she's gotten used to seeing in shades of fire from simmering to scorching with hunger could change to ice cold; distant and cynical. She felt a shiver rack her body and pulled her knees up.

He tapped his fingers lightly against the wood.

"Open the door."

She squeezed her eyes shut, resting her cheek against her knees playing out flashes of what just happened. She shook her head and felt his hands trailing across her body and between her legs, letting out a groan as she squeezed her eyes tighter.

Her memory went back farther, pausing on a memory of her discussion with Joshua Parker about his intentions against his son.

 _"_ _I can weaken him from the inside; nightmares and voices in his head, hallucinations and outbursts to break him down physically."_

She bounced her forehead off of her knee a few times at her carelessness; being warned about what was coming but doing nothing about it because she thought she would have more time. What's worse, she was so wrapped up in her own worries she never informed Kai of his father's threats.

"You still there?" she mumbled.

"Yes."

"Your dad said something to me before, I forgot to tell you with what's recently been going on but his plan for you… it starts by breaking you down. Nightmares, voices in your head, and… hallucinations."

"What else did he say?" his tone sounded more jaded.

She tried to run through their conversation as best she could.

"That he had a plan, and needed a little more time to complete the spell. He was trying to weaken you mentally with nightmares and hallucinations so he could get to you physically. He said you were too dangerous, and that if I tried anything to help you then there's a chance neither of us would make it out of here."

"Fantastic," he grumbled. "Anything else you feel like sharing?"

"Yeah, you just looked scary as hell and not making me feel too great about my attempt to bring you back to Mystic Falls." Her adrenaline and prickling sense of fear had her thoughts scattered.

"I didn't mean to do that, I didn't know it was you," he sighed. "I'll leave you alone for the night."

She heard him linger before stepping away and walking into Damon's room. She left out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and tried to reign in her thoughts from spiraling into a frenzy.

Bonnie wasn't sure what she was going to do about the situation with Kai, but for now him being two doors away sounded pretty good to her.

-x—x—x—x—x-

Bonnie thought she was going to have to spend the day trying to avoid bumping into Kai but he seemed to be doing a well enough job for the both of them. She spent most of the day bouncing between the living room and her garden outside but she never heard his door open.

By the time the stars came out she found herself in the kitchen grabbing random things like saltines and poptarts and stopping for a water before heading to his room.

She didn't bother knocking, turning the handle and pushing it open with her foot hearing the shower running around the corner. She moved towards the bed to put the food on the end table and glanced over her shoulder into the bathroom – almost tripping over her feet.

The shower curtain had been thrown to the side and Kai stood with his back to her; water cascading over his head and down his back. His arms stretched straight out and rested against the tiles as his head hung low. His back wasn't bulging with muscles but was certainly defined; broad shoulders tracing down to a lean lower back and what may have been the nicest ass she's ever seen.

She stared a minute longer, long enough for her feel like she went into a momentary daze and shot her head back in the opposite direction. Her eyes tried to adjust as it took in an entirely different sight – an absolute mess. The usually made bed had the sheets and comforter thrown about like Kai had been rolling around on it.

She put down the food on the end table, picking up the clock and lamp that had been knocked over and glancing around the rest of the room. Little things were scattered about, seemingly harmless but she knows Kai can be a bit of a neat freak and her eyes landed on the small dresser.

"Jesus," she mumbled as she stood, the mirror smashed on impact from something being thrown at the middle of it.

She was halfway across the room to it when Kai stepped out of the bathroom in a towel.

"You look-"she let slip, her mouth drabbling out words that she hadn't fully processed.

His stare was icy, his posture ridged, and his overall look giving off a sense of danger. She fought the urge to back away as he walked to the other dresser and grabbed a pair of pants, slamming it shut before opening the top drawer for a pair of boxers.

"You can't be here right now." He said still facing the dresser.

She looked at him and the open door off to his left, debating taking his word and running out without a second thought. She leaned forward to move but her feet stayed planted.

"What happened to the mirror?"

"It broke."

He turned to her and she felt the anxiety radiating off of him.

"You have to go."

"Why?" she asked stubbornly.

"Because I don't want you to."

"Well - wait, what?"

She glanced at the hand gripping his clothes and his tense stance; giving her the impression he was fighting the urge to walk towards her the same way she was fighting it to back away.

He gritted his teeth, trying to keep everything bottled up tight with no sudden movements like he could burst at any second.

"Say something!"

"I can't be around you because all I'm thinking about is being with you and it's getting mixed into all kinds of other shit my dad's filling my head with," he rushed out.

She tried to ask what he was seeing or hearing but the question got caught in her throat.

"You're afraid to be alone with me?" she asked baffled.

"I don't know what I'll do." His dark intent behind the sentence had her believing him.

She took a step towards the door, which happened to be in the same direction as him and watched his torso lean forward while the rest stayed in place. She took a breath and took quick steps in his direction, staying closer to the left in the open area of the room than where he was standing and stood in the doorway.

"I'll… see you tomorrow?"

He nodded without looking back at her and walked back into the bathroom.

She let out a huff of breath and leaned against the doorframe, her inner feelings fighting a war with her subconscious and neither were too fond of what her heart had to say. She put her hand over her stomach, feeling queasy at her racing thoughts and headed back downstairs.

-x—x—x—x—x—

A drawer slamming shut in the kitchen woke her from her spot on the couch wrapped up in a blanket. She opened her eyes still lying on the pillow and watched Kai walk past her and towards the fireplace. She inhaled sharply when she noticed the knife in his right hand and leaned up to look at him clearer.

He stopped in front of the fireplace, both hands at his side and started mumbling something. Her eyebrows crinkled and she slowly stood trying to get closer to hear what he was saying. She stepped around the now broken coffee table and inched her way towards him, the mumbling sounding like a verse of Latin.

She stopped when the flames started to rise with force, her train of thought stuttering to a halt as she tried to process how Kai was using magic before her eyes. Red caught her eye-line and she looked at the mark heating up against his wrist, lifting it and the knife in front of him and slicing the four lines on the symbol.

"Kai!" she ran to him and tried snatching the knife out of his hand but he had already finished, lifting his arm out palm down towards the fire.

"What are you doing?!"

His other arm held her back as a few drops of blood fell into the fire, his symbol flashing a charred black before sizzling to his skin-tone.

He dropped both arms and she reached for his wrist, running her thumb over the symbol and feeling heat underneath.

"Kai… what did you just do?"

She looked up to his calm smile and her gut told her something was wrong.

"Go back to sleep, it's almost over."

She stared into his eyes and a vacancy looked back at her. Her heartbeat felt like it was in her throat as she tried to swallow past it.

He picked up her hand that was holding his wrist and put it at her side, walking past her and out the door without another word.

She followed him to the entrance and watched him walk down the hall, slow and somewhat sluggish and not at all with the usual pep in his step. Walking back over to the fire she tried to see where the blood had fallen or for any other drastic changes but nothing stuck out.

Rubbing the back of her head in frustration she walked over to the couch, plopping down and turning on the TV; sleeping now apparently out of the question.

Five hours and three movies later, she found herself in the same position trapped in the same headspace.

 _What in the world is going on right now?_

She had spent at least forty minutes walking the halls from the living room to where Kai was; resting her head against the door and walking back to the couch before huffing out another failed attempt. All the while her thoughts spiraled from wondering how she ended up here, in this predicament, with this person.

When she first met Kai she was intrigued and felt an instant pull between the two of them, him never letting up on it the entire time they've known each other. The more she pushed away the harder he fought to get closer with unguarded strategic moves that had her lowering the walls that kept him out.

She thinks back to the kid who she stabbed with a pen in a sheer panic to escape from and shudders to process how it is the same person she spends every day with. The guy that she eats her meals with, makes fun of movies to, fills hours of endless conversation with; the one she's come to expect to be in her day to day life.

The only thing that could make this new found dilemma more problematic is the man himself. She isn't sure if she would call it ironic or a twisted sense of karma that the moment she lets Kai in – so to speak – he pushes away. It feels like a tug-of-war between the two and one is always trying to pull the other closer; or flee in the opposite direction. How she ended up as the former is still a mystery among many.

What has kept her a safe hundred foot distance away is the same feeling she got when she looked into his cold angry stare and heard his idle warning - ' _I don't know what I'll do._ '

If Kai didn't trust his own intent and actions then there was no chance Bonnie was going to test it out. The one and only thing that had her wanting to see him and talk at all was to get the reason behind what she saw him doing in the middle of the night.

She heard a bang and crash on the floor above her and knew exactly where it was coming from. She walked to the end of the hall and stood on the first step, listening for any other chance of sounds. His loud yell was followed by another shatter and she tiptoed up the stairs and down the hallway hovering outside of the door.

"Stop it – _stop it –"_ she heard him mumbling in an angry tone like he was arguing with somebody.

She cracked the door open and saw him holding onto his head with his back to her, anxiously moving around in place before picking up the closest thing to him and whipping it at the wall in front of him.

"Leave me alone," he gritted. "I said-"he spun around and Bonnie froze when he locked in on her, moving towards her before she could step back and pulling her in by her upper arms.

He clenched his teeth as his eyes searched her face frantically, shaking his head then gripping her tighter and pushing her back next to the doorframe.

"It's me, it's Bonnie – I'm not a hallucination. Hey," she said in a calm voice, placing her shaking hands against his chest and feeling his rapid heartbeat.

She tried to hold onto her strength over her sense of fear and kept his gaze until she saw a shift in his eyes and his demeanor changed. He moved his hands up her arms until they landed on either side of her head and leaned against them.

 _"_ _Run."_

It was barely a whisper, his breathing fast as his head hung for a beat. She stayed frozen in shock, her feet halfway down the hall like her mind expected her to be. Her hands were still on his chest and slowly started to grip the fabric in her fists.

"GO!"

His open fist slammed against the wall next to her head and she ducked under his arm before stumbling out the door.


	25. Chapter 25

She was down the hall and halfway down the stairs when she caught him out of the corner of her eye.

"Mm not so fast..."

Before she could register he was barreling down the stairs and reaching her at a rapid pace. Her feet propelled her off the steps as she hit the ground running and didn't stop until she slammed into the door. She tried to yank the heavily ancient door open and felt a sharp stinging from her left forearm.

Kai spun her around and pressed harder into her wrist, the pain going from a simmer to a scorching burn and coursing through her veins.

"You really think you can leave here without me?"

Her eyebrows drew in as is other hand closed around her forearm. She couldn't breathe through the copper taste in her mouth, an electric charge that was heavy like battery acid on her tongue; stealing her magic.

"What – are – you doing?"

Her legs started to wobble under her and slowly gave out as Kai crouched in front of her. If he wasn't wearing a sweatshirt she was positive his brand would have been red hot – all the fire in his eyes gone leaving a sinister shell left behind.

"What you were going to do to me; I'm taking your magic, and I'm leaving you all by yourself."

Bonnie felt the third wave hit her and almost passed out, a shock of adrenaline surging as ' _vatos_ ' left her lips. She shielded her face between her chest and knees as everything exploded around them. He yelled and fell backwards as the table next to the door hit him, her trying desperately to shake off her weakened state and stand before he could.

She pulled herself up from the door handle and opened it a crack before squeezing outside. She made it almost all the way to the car when she felt an invisible pull against her back like a tether to a bungee-cord. Planting her feet in the ground did nothing as she was forced backwards into the house landing hard on the carpet.

Groaning, she looked up at a sickly and distant version of someone she's become close to – the differences between the two sending a deep chill throughout her body.

"I knew you'd try to trick me, as soon as I had my guard down. It's not going to happen again!" he yelled.

He reached forward for her foot, yanking her closer to him.

"I am leaving this prison – with or without you."

She threw her other hand out towards his skull and concentrated, gasps of pain and angry sneers erupting out of Kai. She scooted backwards on her butt with her hand still towards him, him gritting his teeth and trying to inch his way towards her. She felt her eyes water as her panic blended into Kai's fears; being left alone again triggering a dark hallucination he couldn't pull himself out of.

"Kai stop, I don't want to hurt you."

He chuckled under the pain, lifting his arm and feeling her own magic reverberating off of her. She gritted her teeth, keeping her hold on him as he tried to break his way through.

He looked too weak to walk, let alone throw magic shocks at her. His eyes grew heavier the longer he held his head, his breathing quickening.

 _"_ _I don't believe you!"_ He slammed his palm against the floorboard and everything shook, including her hold on him.

He flicked his wrist and she felt paralyzed from the neck down. His ragged breaths continued as he walked the few steps and crouched next to her.

The intense stare he gave her now was something different than the uncontrolled rage that flashed when he saw his father; although he was still bubbling with fury his face read more of shock and hurt – a mask one would hear if they had been deceived.

She tried to think of some special thing to say to make him believe her but she couldn't move her limbs, let alone come up with a plan. He looked her over and shook his head, standing quickly to yank off his sweatshirt. His shirt was sweaty underneath but the only thing she saw was the blood-red burn mark on his wrist; so dark it was almost black.

"You're imagining things," she said weakly, watching the brand burn a brighter shade and him shake his head, gripping it and pacing around next to her.

He let out a pained sound and gripped his chest, leaning over to catch his breath and letting out an angry grunt. He fell to his knees, his slouched posture showing his physical weakness against his mental anguish.

When he turned back to her his betrayed look was back, gripping her wrist tight with his left and her catching a glimpse at the borderline-black-symbol.

"Fool me once..."

The pain instantaneously jolted from her arm through her veins, spreading like a virus and draining her energy. White sparks sizzled behind her eyelids as she felt herself getting tired, her frozen body unable to fight against the attack.

Bonnie gritted her teeth and tried to clear her mind, focusing on the words of the incantation through her dwindling magic.

" _Phasmatos superous en animi…"_

Repeating the saying over and over, Kai's hold on her started to weaken as his hands went to his temples and his nose started to bleed. Her breath caught at the agony he was going through – at what she was causing – and closed her eyes as she kept mumbling the words.

Kai's fragile state had him easily subdued and on the ground as her limbs twitched and stirred. Bonnie felt a rush of air expand her lungs as his hold on her broke. She gasped in a few breaths leaning to her side, glancing up at Kai lying on his back.

"Damn it," she coughed, lifting her body up and bringing herself next to him.

She could still see his chest rising and falling in shallow breaths and lifted his forearm to have a charred black symbol glaring back at her. She let out an uneasy noise; placing her hands on his chest and filling his lungs with oxygen in the same moment. He took a deep inhale in and coughed it out, leaning to his side before shifting and ending up on his hands and knees.

Bonnie stayed at least five feet away, teetering against her fight or flight instinct and waited cautiously for his next move. He coughed again into his arm and pushed back on his heels before standing up slowly. She mirrored his action and they were left within an arm's length of each other; neither making a move.

Her breath caught when she looked into his eyes and saw… nothing. No fire or ice, rage or amusement, there was no flicker of his life; a blank slate. She felt herself shaking her head slowly, taking an involuntary step back.

"No need to be alarmed," he soothed.

She took another step back and he copied her forward, throwing up her hand palm up and him wagging his finger at her.

" _Tsk tsk_ , foolishness will get you nowhere in life – or have you not learned that already?"

Everything from his demeanor to personality had changed; shifts in the atmosphere that she could feel vibrating off the walls.

"Come, sit for a moment, I'd like to discuss something with you."

If Bonnie ever had a gut instinct trying to warn her that something was terribly wrong, she felt it now. Her throat felt like it was closing from her bubbling panic trying to rise and spill over the surface, suffocating her from within. Every hair stood on end as her body radiated with adrenaline feeling her skin buzz even in her fatigued state. She couldn't shake the feeling like she was sinking, getting pulled under and dragged deeper into the darkness.

"Kai, what's going on? Why did you think I was leaving?"

"We'll go over that as well. Please, sit."

"Kai-"

"Another thing-"he interrupted "before we continue we should probably get one thing clear – I am not Malachai."

Realization came crashing down on her like an arrow to the stomach; unexpected and leaving her breathless. She blinked a few times and felt a wave of dizziness hit her shaky frame.

"Mr. Parker…"

"Joshua, please." His voice somehow sounded different; higher, more formal.

"What…" Bonnie couldn't catch her breath, frantically trying to search his profile and finding a stranger looking back.

"It's unfortunate to keep seeing you under these circumstances but it must be done."

He walked back over to the couch and leaned back, crossing one leg over at the knee.

"So let's talk about what happened the other night."

Her mind went through the countless events over the last few nights, pausing on some extremely pleasant and displeasing moments.

"In the cave…"

Now her mind was zoning in on specific moments and flashes of skin against skin while moans flooded her eardrums.

"Would you like to tell me how Malachai ended up in the cave, during the eclipse, with your blood on the ascendant?"

The initial shock waves of Kai's father somehow controlling his body started to subside, her simmering hatred for the man hiding underneath boiling to the top.

"Not really, no."

"How about how he knew about the attack in the first place and ways to fight it off?"

She stood her ground on the opposite side of the room, crossing her arms.

"Miss Bennett," he smiled "I thought we had an understanding. You can get out of here – and if you had waited just a short amount of time longer you would already be having a reunion with your friends – but my son cannot. He is a danger to everyone he comes into contact with-"

"And yet I'm still here," she cut in "and he's made no effort to kill me or hurt me in any way until you got into his head."

 _Again_ she thought, gritting her teeth.

"You are still breathing because he needs you for his own personal gain, the moment his use for you runs out you will be cast aside." his composure never changed, no facial expressions to give away emotions.

She tried not to let his words affect her but it sparked something deep within her.

"You're wrong."

"Oh don't take it personally; this is what he has always done."

"Intentionally hurts the one's he's closest to when they don't give him exactly what he wants? No I don't think that's him we're talking about."

He glanced back at her, no hint of a smile or flash of life within his cold exterior.

"How are you here right now?" she huffed, exasperated and terrified all in the same beat. "Where is Kai?"

"He's… on the backburner, to put it simply. He's still in here but deep out of reach where he can't cause any trouble as I take control of his thoughts and actions."

He spoke with a casualness of such brutal tactics it made her stomach churn.

"I actually have you to thank for helping speed the process along. The weaker my son became mentally and physically the easier it was to take full control over him. I had been fighting against him for the last couple of days – having a temporary hold on him before he would snap out of it but your magic fused with mine created a barrier he couldn't break through."

Her stomach sank at each new piece of information, the revelation that she could be a cause behind what is happening to him made her vision blur.

"The task of breaking him down was more time consuming than I had hoped but once the visions started it was just a matter of time. All I had to do was plant the seed of his worst fears and his mind did the rest."

Bonnie turned her head away from him, replaying Kai's hatred when he thought his father was back – and trying to kill him, and the look on his face when he thought she was keeping him trapped here.

"He's tougher than you think."

"I don't doubt that, it's actually that very reason for why I am here."

Her head spot back to his, still trying to take in the sight of Kai physically and knowing he was nowhere within her reach.

"What are you going to do?"

He sighed, drumming his fingers against the armrest.

"I am going to make sure you get home safely, and then I am going to do what I should have done years ago; I am going to end this once and for all. As I told you before – it's almost over."

Her grip tightened automatically, anger surging through her body breaking out in goosebumps as awareness spread across her body.

"You…"

He clasped his hands on his lap, shielding the symbol from her view.

"Last night – what were you doing to him?"

"I was completing the spell," he said evenly. "The final step was to bind my subconscious to his body through blood and fire; a spell as old as witchcraft itself. It gives me full reign over him for a short amount of time."

She cringed at the thought of Kai being possessed by none other than this man and being helpless against it; trapped in a prison within himself.

"He can't die here," she blurted, getting hit with a wave of anger she knows must be a fraction of what Kai would be feeling. "You made sure of it, and then you tried again and were unsuccessful in the cave."

"No," he smiled "The cave was just a fail-safe in case he tricked or threatened you to try and bring him to present day. I was fairly surprised that neither were the case, nevertheless, for an amount of time he can die in here – _now_ – while I still have a hold on him.

"How?"

"I can do it myself; he is the equivalent to any other mortal and can be killed as such. Once it's finished I will get propelled back into my own body and this nightmare will be over."

 _"_ _Nightmare…"_ she bit hard into her bottom lip. "Yeah, that's a good word to describe this."

For as long as Bonnie has known Kai there has been talk of – and actual situations resulting in – his death and Kai has stood on his own and stayed true to the one thing he's held onto for over forty years; he is a survivor. No matter what obstacle he has come up against he's fought his way through it and continues to live another day. Now there is a chance he may be in his final groundhog day and he is completely powerless and defenseless against his attacker.

"Then do the right thing, Miss Bennett; help me stop my son."

Her chest panged as she pulled her crossed arms tighter into her chest, his sentence seeming to contradict itself in _doing the right thing_ by _killing someone_ and set off a spark within her; the fuse being lit and fizzling slow.

"And how would I do that?"

"Simple - leave this place." he stood and her back tensed and straightened, wanting to take a step back even though she was closer to the fireplace than the couch.

"Go back to your life and don't look back – erase him from your memory."

"And that would help you?"

"Yes."

"Because you need me to leave before you can successfully kill him."

He hilted his head slightly, void of emotion.

"Why is that?"

"You misunderstood, I assumed you would not want to see what is going to happen to him, what with your new feelings towards him arising at the most unexpected times."

Bile rose up her throat immediately, the thought of Kai's father knowing what happened between them the other night had her nauseous on the spot. Or worse - _if he was already taking control of him._

"I don't know what you're talking about."

He hummed. "My son has a vivid imagination but somehow I think the quick flashes I've seen are a little too realistic."

She felt lightheaded underneath her mixture of rage and anxiety; her torso swaying slightly from the pressure. Fisting her hands at her sides she held her ground and stared back into his blank gaze.

"Yeah, somehow, I don't believe that my well-being over Kai's death would sway your actions in any way. So I'll ask again – what's stopping you from taking him out right now?"

"That Bennett fire," he said with a small smile "I can see why Malachai is drawn to you."

He walked towards her and she let him get within ten feet before putting her hand up as a warning.

"Okay," he nodded "If honesty will give you the closure you need to come to terms with this then that is what we'll do. Sound fair?"

"Okay…" she said, still on guard.

"Firstly, I need the power of the eclipse since that is the celestial event that Malachai is tethered to and how he has maintained his foothold on Earth. Once the spell converges with the event I'll be at full strength."

She waited for him to finish and when he didn't, cocked her eyebrow.

"Mhm…" she pressed forward.

"And secondly I need to split the connection between the two of you. His hold on you has become his strength and he feeds off of it, using that as his source of energy to fight against me. After his escape plan fails the last piece will break and I will have ultimate control."

Her heart was beating loud enough that she was positive Joshua was able to hear it too. Knowing Kai was trapped within his own mind because of his sadistic father was enough to set her over the edge, but the idea that she could be the tether he was holding onto was so unsettling it made her head spin. What made her stomach turn was the thought that she could be the reason why he breaks – and his father wins.

"I can see that you're confused by this but all will be taken care of tomorrow afternoon."

 _Tomorrow_ , Bonnie thought weakly, not knowing how she was going to make it to then when she couldn't even get through this moment.

"Where is Kai?" she asked as rapid questions and scenarios played out in her mind, this one yammering around constantly. "Can he hear what we're saying; does he know what's going on?"

"No," he answered sternly "he doesn't, he is too far gone."

He stared at her for a moment longer before taking a few long steps and landing directly in front of her. She stepped back but he reached his hand out to her forearm, gripping slightly as she felt an electric shock coursing through her veins.

"I'm sorry; this is just a safety precaution."

Bonnie gritted her teeth and yelled through the pain; her entire body feeling like it was being electrocuted as it drained of energy. She felt herself getting heavy and groggy and her arm was released from his grip.

"That ought to do it," he nodded "now you have enough magic that will be able to withstand this one hefty spell."

Her vision blurred as the shocks started to subside, letting out a gust of air and feeling her entire body vibrate with rage.

"And what about the rest of my magic? Now Kai has the power of a Bennett witch running through his bloodstream."

"He won't be needing it," he reassured.

Her hard glare didn't waver until he sighed and glanced around the room, walking back to the couch and picking up her stuffed bear where she left him after she woke up.

He held the bear in his hands and started mumbling a chant for a moment before opening his eyes. She felt a shiver race down her spine staring into the person's eyes she's become so close to recently and having a stranger stare back.

"There, now your magic is safe in the bear and will be shipped back to Mystic Falls with you tomorrow.

He kept Miss Cuddles in his grip as he took a step backwards.

"Tomorrow Miss Bennett, bright and early," he dismissed with a nod and was out of the room leaving her stewing in her anger and confusion.


	26. Chapter 26

"What are you doing?" A formal voice came from behind her.

She kept her face in the bookcase, pulling them out in piles and dropping them into a large storage container. For days now Bonnie had searched the house for Emily's grimoire that used to be tucked safely away with the rest of her belongings. She made sure to change the hiding place so many times almost she couldn't keep track of where it was, but it didn't seem to be in a single one of her spots.

She had spent her free time combing through the library for any other grimoire's that the Salvatore's would have collected over the century and couldn't find a single one. She made sure to check when Kai was either out or nowhere within sight as to not look suspicious but consequently enough, any book that was related to magic seemed to be wiped from the archive resulting in her current predicament of being at her wits end and dumping them all out.

"Just catching up on some reading," she murmured, finger still running over each spine for any title or author to stand out.

"Anything specific you're looking for? Maybe I can help."

"Doubt it."

"Describe what it looks like. Old fashioned, brown leather, passed down through the generations perhaps?"

She gritted her teeth, swiping off a handful of books in frustration.

"That is a tricky book to find, it took me quite a few attempts of searching the house while keeping a hold over this body. I managed to burn all of the books relating to magic within the first night of taking temporary control."

" _What?"_ Her head whipped in his direction from the latter and stared down at him. " _You burned them?_ How – when?"

"The night after I saw you in his dream; I immediately sensed the danger and knew something had to be done."

"When would you have done all of that? I'm with Kai the majority of the day –"

"And night," he interrupted "but not these last few nights, which as you are well of aware of is when Malachai is at his weakest. When he slips into his dream state his subconscious can be subdued and controlled without a fight, much like what you saw the other night."

"Sleepwalking," she put together "That's how you've been taking control of him?"

"Quite effective, only side effect is I don't sleep while in this state – hence why I am awake at 5AM wandering the house but doesn't answer why you are."

Bonnie shrugged, looking back at the bookcase before stepping down the latter.

"If you hadn't noticed by now, we don't get too great of sleep around here. Maybe it's that prison _we're-the-only-people-in-this-world_ claustrophobic feeling that keeps me awake."

"Well," he nodded "reading does ease the mind. Might I suggest a romance or good mystery to take your mind off of things?"

 _A romance mystery,_ she thought _sounds about right._

Grabbing the closest book to her she scooped it under her arm and heading towards the door.

"Good idea, I'm going to try it out and get some sleep before morning. Goodnight."

She strode past him without stopping for a response and headed towards Stefan's room, hoping her last option wouldn't be a loss like the rest. Locking the door and pulling against the knob for good measure, she headed for his bookcase and tossed the book on the ground, followed by the next fifty.

She was about to scream out in frustration when a book hidden at the bottom caught her eye; pulling it out from its spot and seeing half a face of a young girl, pale and deranged with an eye encased in pitch black. _Demonic Possession_ was scribbled in cursive underneath and the similarities sent a jolt through her veins, awakening her power.

She turned on her butt to lean against the bookcase, flipping through the pages and reading through every piece of information twice for the next two hours. Her blood simmered to a raging boil that would cool down to an icy chill from seeing the similarities of a full demonic possession to what has been happening to Kai.

 _Oppression; nightmares, hallucinations, and drawing on the person's weaknesses to break them down and open them up to possession._

 _Possession; entity has full access to the body and can cause them to black out or watch from above._

It wasn't until she reached the end that she was hit with a sharp sense of inspiration.

 _Exorcism; the expulsion of an evil entity from a body or place._

Bonnie bit the inside of her cheek, wondering if the spirit of someone who is living can be forced out of the body the same way as a demonic spirit. She made sure to let every word sink in as she pulled out one of the empty diaries behind her head and wrote down the steps.

A lot of it was didn't fall in line perfectly to her magical exorcism but could be tweaked for her benefit; like calling out the demon's name – which in this case could be Joshua, and holy water – which she could substitute for a spell.

She jotted down a few bullet notes; _salt weakens demons hold on Host. More it reveals about itself, easier for the body to repel the spirit. Spirit must be ejected from the body both from the exorcist and the Host._

Bonnie underlined the last bullet knowing deep down this would be the most difficult task to do since she only has half the power to complete it. Mentally there is nothing Kai would want more than to expel his father out of his body – out of his life – and never see him again. Unfortunately the man controlling his body also has the upper hand on his full physical strength and a spell fighting against his mental stability locked deep in a vault in his own mind.

She also wrote down a couple of key points that she remembered reading in the grimoire's over a year; _iron / iron sulphate is used to suppress magic, witch is powerless in a circle of ashwood._

Ashwood would be the most effective since a witch cannot cross over the circle, but she would have to find an ashwood tree and grind it down – and she was a little short on time.

Iron or iron sulphate is definitely still effective but she'd have to find something within the house to not give off any suspicion. She got up from her spot and walked out of Stefan's room making her way to the basement. She was sure to stay quiet; taking on her _ninja-stance_ she felt when she ran throughout the house to avoid Kai two weeks ago and made it quickly downstairs.

The basement was more of a cellar than anything; dirt floor with a dusty dank smell, not to mention the iron barred dungeon room where more than one vampire has been trapped. She gritted her teeth, if she could somehow get Joshua into the basement she could lock him in this room but in reality, breaking Kai out of his mental prison sounded like an easier task.

She walked around the rest of the cellar knowing there were other rooms and other forms of torture locked away with the rest of the dark Salvatore secrets. She turned a corner and walked into a small room with objects lining the walls. Glancing behind her, she took a few steps inside and looked around quickly, not wanting to linger.

Her fingers trailed along the items; many forms of sharp edged weapons and wooden objects of all sorts until her fingers landed on what she was looking for. Taking them off its handle she pulled the handcuffs apart to see if they can still withhold someone and felt her mouth curve up in relief to see they are still intact. She felt the heavy metal in her palms and examined it closely before she was sure it was iron.

Before he went looking for her, Bonnie held the handcuffs close to her chest and scurried back up to Stefan's room. Fighting the urge to sleep but knowing she needed her strength and energy for tomorrow, she dragged herself into Stefan's bed and rested her eyes to prepare herself for the next day.

-x—x—x—x—x—

Exhausted, bleary-eyed, and on edge; Bonnie dragged herself through the house to pick up the supplies she needed. There were the items for show; the ascendant, her notebook and some clothes, then the items she truly needed; salt, a knife, the handcuffs, a 6in. iron rod, a torch lighter, and some rope… just in case.

She turned out of the kitchen to the main entrance and found Kai standing at the front door. His posture was straight and his face expressionless, nodding once before opening the door and walking out.

They made their way through the woods in silence, her secretly grateful for the quiet time to sort out her plan for the hundredth time. She was so absorbed in her thoughts she almost walked right by the entrance, tripping over her foot before stopping herself.

Walking inside she froze, heat flashes hitting her as she glanced around the cave from the wall where she was pressed up against to the rock he had her pinned to. She tried to keep even breaths as the guy she's having vivid memories of walked past her and into the small circle of light, glancing back at her without a flicker of acknowledgment.

Bonnie had been going back and forth on when she should do the actual deed; before or after the eclipse. Joshua said specifically that he was the strongest during the phase of the eclipse and the moment he's been waiting for; because of this she has gotten it in her head that if she can stop him before the phase is complete he won't be able to reach his full strength. She couldn't find any factual information to back up her theory – since demonic witch possession through a bloodline was surprisingly not a typical book the Salvatore's kept in their library but she thought she made good use out of what she could find.

"Happy to finally leave this place?"

Bonnie knew better than to underestimate the man behind the mask; his thoughts and actions towards his son was just one aspect of what she has seen him capable of. If there was any inkling that she was against him she was certain he would sense it.

"You have no idea," Bonnie admitted, not letting herself feel the true desperation she felt in her words. "I'm pretty sure I would never find the need to come back to this house."

He smiled, putting Miss Cuddles down next to his foot and pulling the knife out of his back pocket, pointing the tip into his index finger and twirling it slowly in his hand.

"Soon enough you will not have to."

She tried to focus on the words he was saying over what he was doing.

"And soon enough you'll be back with your family," she promised.

He smiled but it was still different on Kai's face, never seeming to meet his eyes. He glanced at his watch then back overhead.

"It's almost time," he murmured.

A shot of adrenaline coursed through her, her fingers and toes tingling with a buzz as she stepped into the circle of light. She reached for the bag next to her and pulled out the ascendant, idly keeping the other items tucked under one of her shirts.

Flashes played out like a movie before her eyes of standing in the same position with the guy she has spent the last few months alone with and the half a dozen ways the situation has ended. Whether it was one of them dying, leaving together, or an unexpected turn of events – the one constant was that she never knew what was going to happen. Dreams and reality alike, her thoughts were scattered and her morals were swaying against a breath of wind; never certain in what it was she wanted to do.

For the first time, in an ironic twist of fate she had a clear goal with a set path and plan behind it; none of which resulted in her safe departure home. She shook her head at herself and at the wonder of how she ended up here, clearing her head of everything before looking back at him.

"You're doing the right thing, Miss Bennett" he reassured, grasping the outside of her arm once.

She sighed, trying to shake off any last nerves and smiled.

"I know, when it comes down to it I always do."

She sliced farther down on her hand since she still had a mark on her palm from her last attempt and poured the blood over the ascendant.

"So how do we do this?"

"You say your spell while my power mixed with the celestial event takes full effect and then you will be teleported home."

"You won't – I mean… you're not going to do it right in front of me, right?"

He chuckled softly.

"No, Miss Bennett, I will wait until after you are gone."

She sighed in relief, his answer both satisfying and reassuring her on another piece of information; he can't kill him while she's here.

"Okay. Well," she gripped the ascendant in her hand "here we go."

"What we've been waiting for," he finished.

Bonnie felt her eyes burn with a brief flare of rage hoping he didn't catch it as she clenched her teeth.

She knew these next two minutes were crucial and had to be taken on very cautiously. In a perfect world she would already be throwing aneurisms and spells his way to subdue him and wait out the eclipse. The only problem with that is he'd be able to see what she was planning, think it through, and have time to intervene. Too far into the spell would be drastic for obvious reasons but she needs to push the boundary to be able to pull off her plan; bring her close enough to feel the power and take hold of her own fate.

Starting in on the first verse, the wind overhead picked up as she felt a wave of power surging through her, seeming less intense with her shortage of magic to absorb it. She glanced over at Kai's profile and saw his eyes closed and his head lifted towards the light. Pretending to groan she fell to one knee as she went into the second verse, the ascendant whirring and clicking as her power blended into the power of the eclipse.

Bonnie unzipped the bag and quickly took out the rod and torch lighter as she went into the second verse, turning it on and leaning over out of his sight as she said the chant louder to drown out the noise. When she saw that at least an inch of it was red hot she gripped the rod behind her back and stood up slowly with the ascendant in the other.

His gaze dropped back down to hers as she hit the last verse and he let in a deep inhale, glancing at the ascendant below then back overhead and the almost fully eclipsed sun.

Before losing her nerve to hightail it out of there she used his distraction to her advantage and dropped the ascendant at her feet, grabbing his left wrist and pressing the scorching hot rod against the black symbol. He yelled out in a mixture of pain and anger as the rod burned a mark in between the two straight lines causing the symbol to burn bright before simmering back down to a crimson red.

"What are you doing?" he bellowed.

"Unbinding you," she smiled " _Motus!"_

Gripping her hand against his wrist they were both blown in the same direction into the cave wall. He groaned before pushing himself upright, clenching his fist and making her throat close. Bonnie gasped for air as she tried to stand up, falling back on her hands and knees as she saw his feet back away.

Closing her eyes she let out a deep breath, clearing her mind before digging her hands into the ground and gripping the dirt. Power radiated through her fingertips into her bloodstream, slamming her palm down and the ground vibrating under her touch as Kai lost his balance.

Twisting her hand he froze in place momentarily before slowly sitting up and facing her.

"You think your magic is any match for mine? I'm the leader of the Gemini Coven."

Keeping one hand still dug into the dirt she gritted her teeth and focused so hard she could feel her nose starting to bleed. He chuckled, slowly but surely lifting himself up until he was standing straight. Each step he got closer to the small circle of light she felt something deep within her stirring and trying to push itself out of her body.

Bonnie watched him within an arms-length of the circle of light and closed her eyes, letting the pressure inside take over; starting in the pit of her stomach and working its way out, up her throat and underneath her skin. She felt her simmering rage spike to a boil as a deep calm washed over her over what needed to be done, settling her shaky hands as one stayed in the dirt and the other lifted towards him.

Taking a deep breath she let the pressure build until it filled her to the top, tipping her over the edge as a flood of power surged through her – yelling out and propelling him ten feet forward into the wall crashing down with a hard thud. She clenched her fist and he locked in place, his airway closing with the force of being paralyzed.

"Did no one tell you? I'm a Bennett witch."

Her body felt a surge of power; burning bright and fast. Even with the hold she has against his body she can feel her magic withdrawing from her body one electric charge at a time.

Before she was hit with another shockwave she ran straight for him, picking up her backpack on the way and crashing down to her knees in front of him. She heard him take in a small but sharp breath and knew her magic was wearing thin. Still gripping one hand in a fist she dumped the already opened bag on the floor, snatching the handcuffs and putting them on his wrists. She clicked one closed and felt a sharp pain as his hand broke free of her hold and wrapped around her wrist. Her vision blurred as she yelled out, leaning forward from a shock of vertigo and clicking the other cuff closed.

Bonnie's vision settled as the burning immediately dissipated from her body. He looked down and back up at her, an unknown and unsettling darkness casting over his eyes.

She heard the final whir and ticking of the ascendant and spotted her bear knocked over and left in the middle of the circle before a flash of light lit up the cave.

"Shit!"

She ran towards the circle of light for Miss Cuddles and ran straight through the flash of light; landing on the other side with nothing in her hand or on the ground.

Turning back to a shaking head she rolled her eyes, already anticipating his reaction. What she wasn't prepared to hear was his calm demeanor during these surprising turn of events.

"Well this has turned out as quite a bad day for you."

"For me?" she questioned baffled.

"As you see now you have a limited amount of magic left coursing through your veins, most you just wasted in the last minute and may not be enough to get you home. I would have given you more to ensure your departure but your stint has sent your magic away to where you should be."

"Yeah, that was unexpected."

"As for me," he continued "I will have tomorrow for attempt number two and the next day after that if I need a definitive third chance – but I will still succeed in what I came here to do. Unfortunately for you, there is a good chance you will now have to stand by idly and watch."

"Not a chance," she scoffed "seeing how he's alive if I'm here."

"Maybe you will learn something; like not to mess with fate and what is rightfully coming against a person."

"You mean teach me a lesson?" flashes of Kai's nightmare momentarily blinded her, causing her to lift her hand; flicking her wrist as a small slash mark appeared across his forearm followed by his angry sneer. "I think I'll pass."

"You can't beat me," he bit out "and the more harm you do to his body the stronger hold I have against him."

Bonnie dropped her hand letting out a frustrated noise. How was she supposed to gain the upper hand and subdue him if she couldn't _hurt him?_

"Why are you doing this?"

She laughed once, shaking her head and looking away.

"You must really care about his wellbeing." It wasn't a question.

Ignoring him she walked back over to where he was sitting and crouched in front of the items, hastily shoving in the few items that fell out of her backpack – the lighter, rod, and notebook – along with the handcuffs and reached for the salt before being pushed backwards.

Before her equilibrium settles she was being hauled up to her feet by her upper arms, a cold metal going around her throat cutting off her airway.

"I'm sorry," he said from behind her, pulling the metal chain between the handcuffs tighter against her neck. "But like you said, as long as you are here Malachai stays alive."

She reached behind her head, trailing over his fist and grabbing hold of his wrist below the handcuffs near the brand.

" _Kai_ ,"she wheezed out, her vision getting hazy as she tried to hold onto whatever energy she had, " _please…"_

A humorless laugh came from behind her before he let out a small groan followed by a sharp gasp as the metal loosened around her neck. Ducking underneath it she turned towards him as he took a step back, her mimicking his movement and lunging forward through him towards the container of salt. He lost his balance and stumbled backwards into the wall as she rushed out a shaky semi-circle of salt around him.

Bonnie searched his face trying to see a glimmer of Kai's smirk or spark of mischief in his eyes but all she saw was emptiness. Even if it was for a brief moment Kai was able to break through his father's hold and that made her feel uplifted. His teeth flashed in anger before stepping forward and coming to a halt before the line.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Just a safety precaution," she shrugged.

"You are making a mistake, Miss Bennett. You will not come out victorious, I assure you."

"I don't know," she stood up straight, walking the border of the salt line and landing in front of him. "I've surprised even myself from time to time of what I am really capable of."

"You're no match for me," he stood his ground a few inches from her, his gaze dark and unwavering.

"I guess we'll see," she smiled, walking over to her backpack and grabbing her notebook, preparing herself to send his father back to where he came from, but not where he truly deserves.

Bonnie flipped open to the bookmarked page marked _Stages of Exorcism_ and underneath were four bullets; pretense, breakpoint, clash, and expulsion. She has already surpassed the first stage – the demon revealing its true identity and trying to portray itself as the victim. The next step is to bring out his true self and true intentions – where his pretense collapses and you see who the devil behind the mask is.

She flipped to the next page and read _Rite of Exorcism_ scribbled across the top. From the little research she conjured up on exorcisms, opening it with a prayer and a quote is supposed to open the planes and give her a stronger power over him.

Taking a deep breath she started saying the prayer, ignoring his smirk out of the corner of her eye and sliding into the paragraph quote. By the time she finished she saw a grimace underneath Joshua's strategically blank expression and felt a surge of hope.

Clasping her hands together she chanted a Channeling spell, drawing his father's energy out of Kai's vessel. He flashed his teeth in a snare, pulling at the handcuffs and walking straight up to the salt line.

"Why are you doing this?" he gritted "What good has Malachai ever done for you?"

She shook her head, repeating the spell over and feeling a gust of energy blow through her body as it left his. Bonnie held his gaze as an unfamiliar expression stared back at her through a deep set of blue eyes she could point out in a lineup. Hearing the words come out of Kai's voice but knowing she was talking to his father was a very surreal feeling, her new and old morals fighting off of each other, bouncing off her skull causing a headache to break out. She herself could not give him a definitive answer for why she was doing this but at one point it became out of her control; an investment that she had to make sure was okay.

"He's a murderer!" he yelled.

She let her mind wander to all of the horrible things she used to let keep her up at night; from Kai as a person to the actions he has done in his past that landed him in this prison branded a dangerous monster.

A wave of uneasiness settled over as she recalls how strongly her negative feelings towards Kai went, so deep she tried to kill him multiple times to escape without him. She replays the scenarios of her propelling a pic-axe into his chest and watching him fall to the ground and feeling no emotion, or stabbing him in the neck and feeling justified in doing so. She let a sigh – in a dark corner of her mind knowing what she was also capable of.

"Aren't we all."

His eyes flashed with confusion as she attempted to give a real exorcism – saying Joshua's name many times to dissociate him from Kai's body, casting him out by Jesus' name and God's name and commanding he leave his vessel.

What started out as a hint of humor in his eyes fled the moment he clutched his chest, grumbling low in his throat and staying in that position. She kept going with the ritual not wanting to break the momentum and watched him fall to his knees, an enraged noise escaping his throat as his fist slammed against the ground.

"You will regret this," he enunciated each word slowly. He locked eyes with her and had a look of pure cynicism.

A harsh breath left him as she repeated the Channeling spell to draw out his energy.

"He will kill you."

"He won't," she answered in a knee-jerk reaction, not knowing where it came from.

He chuckled quietly through his agonized groan, a gesture similar to Kai's but not with quite enough gumption.

"You are a fool," he spat.

"And you are a monster," she shot back. "I may be a fool for wanting to help the damaged sociopath, but you are a monster for making him that way."

His laugh was cruel.

"He was set in his ways long before I started in on him."

"Somehow I doubt that," she said through clenched teeth, a memory of him talking about his nightmares at thirteen and hiding in his treehouse bringing itself to the front of her mind.

"How I chose to handle the dangerous child I raised is none of your concern."

"Maybe not," she hummed "but what you do to him now is."

Lifting her hand palm up to him, she closed her eyes and concentrated, hearing a pained groan come from in front of her, opening her eyes to see him gripping the side of his head.

"I know you said I couldn't hurt him physically because Kai would feel it... but you're controlling his mind right now, right?"

Bonnie concentrated harder and he leaned forward on his hands and knees, puffing out harsh breaths against the dirt. Her headache went from an ache to overwhelming as she felt sharp pressure behind her eyes; her brain feeling like it was splitting in half.

"Come on Kai!" she yelled in frustration, his physical weakness a sign she is in the third stage; the clash. This is the stage Bonnie has been terrified to get to – the fate of the outcome rests not only in her hands anymore, but with the person who is locked away within his own mind. If these last few months have taught her anything about Kai Parker it is that he is strong, and he wants to live.

"He can't hear you!" he cackled. "You can't reach him! He is trapped in his very own _7 levels of Hell_."

Her hand wavered in the air, almost losing her concentration at the deeply disturbing term.

"What does that mean?"

He smirked, yelling out as she burst another blood vessel in his brain.

"Tell me!"

Kai's blank stare looked back at up at her from the ground and a calm smile spread across his face.

"Dreams are one thing to break through but memories are a whole different area, if you recall his current nightmares as an example. Trapped within his own mind, his own memories, as he falls deeper and deeper until he lands in the pit; his one memory he'll never be able to leave."

Chills broke out across Bonnie's skin as she clenched her fist blocking off his air supply. She gritted her teeth, her magic felt paper thin rubbing against her veins as she pushed herself harder, her body giving way as she felt her nose bleeding.

She watched his ghostly smile at her weakening state and yelled out, her fist so tight her knuckles turned white until she saw his body start to slouch from sudden exhaustion. She heard his jagged coughs when she unclenched her fist, walking up to the line and crouching in front of him.

"Miss Bennett – stop – before you hurt yourself. You can't reach him, and you have almost no magic left; he is too weak."

Anger sizzled up her throat as she reached over the line and grabbed his wrist, checking the blood-red symbol and glanced back up at him.

"He can't break through my hold on him."

Bonnie let that piece of information simmer deep into her mind, testing out the different thoughts that it triggered and locked in on one.

"Maybe the both of us can."

"What happened to the girl who saved her friend when she was getting shot by my son?" Anger surged through him, trying to grab her arm but she was over the salt line before he got the chance "the one who knows the difference between right and wrong, good and evil?"

"I am right here," she said with confidence, knowing exactly where her sense of right and wrong stood, and who was on either side.

"Do you think my son would ever do the same thing for you? He has no empathy, no emotional connection to anyone – ever. You are no different, just another little girl lured in by his looks and charm; it's deceiving."

If her magic was at full capacity she wasn't sure what state of mind Joshua Parker would be in, but it would definitely be coated in agony. She gritted her teeth at the sinking feeling he brought on by being portrayed as a weak and silly girl that is being used by an attractive guy. She couldn't put her finger on why exactly, but she had a gut feeling that she knew he was wrong - and maybe he knew it himself.

"You know I'm right."

She couldn't help but laugh at the irony.

"No, actually, I don't think I do. And I don't think _you do_ either, otherwise you wouldn't be fighting so hard to tell me all the horrible things about him."

"I'm just trying to understand how a smart girl can be making such a rash decision right now; there must be a reason behind it."

She cocked an eyebrow and shrugged with one shoulder, lifting her head to the same side as a blasé answer to a loaded question that she had no answer to other than a feeling.

Knowing she has to hold onto every little bit of magic she had left, Bonnie looked around the cave for any heavy objects and came up short. Contemplating for at least 30 seconds, she walked out of the cave then ran around the woods, finding the heaviest fallen branch and bringing in back into the cave.

Joshua was pushing against the invisible boundary with all of his strength but it wouldn't budge, the iron cuffs securing the effect as a mere mortal, helpless and on the defense.

"Oh this is for you," she said cheerfully, dragging the tree branch over to where he was. "Figured I'd give you a little something extra special to help you sleep."

"Malachai will kill everyone in my coven the moment he is let free!" he exclaimed "Are you so naïve to believe he won't? You will be knowingly letting him do what sent him to the prison world in the first place – can you live with that?"

Bonnie felt a heavy weight press against her chest as she tried to breathe deeply, the ache growing with each passing breath. Kai has admitted himself that at the very least he would go after his father, merge with his twin sister, and become leader of his coven with untapped power he has never experienced before. She knows this to be true but like an invisible force from her chest to Kai's; she felt the inexplicable need to stand by him.

The damaged and the broken have always been a weak spot for Bonnie since she was a child; the overwhelming need to find the cause of pain and make them better, stronger than almost any other emotion she feels. With Kai, she couldn't see it at first through all of the judgements and walls up against him until she could feel herself getting closer the more he opened up to her.

Unbeknownst to her, not only had he gotten under her skin but inched his way into her mind and changed the way she saw him – as a person and as someone in her life.

"I can't let him die," she said it so quietly it sounded like a revelation within herself.

She picked up the tree branch and swung it like a bat as hard as she could, the end contacting with Kai's head and him collapsing onto the ground unconscious.

"You are going to be complaining for days about that headache," she mumbled.

She walked over the salt line and lifted him up so he was sitting backwards against the wall.

"Am I really going to do this?" she asked herself out loud, knowing the answer the night before but that voice of reason in her head just wouldn't stop its incessant chatter.

Shaking her head, Bonnie sat down next to him and leaned against the rock placing her right hand in his left. She caught one last look at the brand and noticed it was still a dark shade of red, not switching back to its charred black state since she unbound his physical hold against Kai by breaking through the magic with iron.

Closing her eyes and letting out a deep breath, she rested her head against the caves wall and started the chant to pull her into his dream until her vision went hazy underneath her closed eyelids and she felt a pull against her; encasing her in darkness.


	27. Chapter 27

_1.  
_

 _I felt the sun beating against my eyelids before I could open them. Squinting through the brightness I saw the clear day overhead and felt the grass and dirt under me, groaning as I sat up straight coming face to face with a large white building – Kai's childhood home._ _I stayed sitting for a beat longer, momentarily frozen with panic over all the different ways I could find Kai and what state of mind he will be in. Letting the moment pass I hoisted myself off the ground and walked up the steps on the porch, hesitating at the door before opening it._

 _The sight of Joshua stopped me mid-step, standing 10 feet away and walking towards me. My breath caught and I took a step backwards about to take another when he turned to the right and walked into the next room. I followed him into their living room and walked in front of the TV; directly in his line of view from the couch. He didn't bat an eyelash at the obstruction to his view so I stepped closer until I was in front of him, leaning forward to be eye level and seeing a distant and blank stare looking through me like I wasn't even here._

 _"At least you can't make things worse in these dreams."_

 _I straightened and with one last suspicious glance at his father, I walked into the adjoining room and made my way around the first floor without coming into contact with anyone else. Heading up the stairs I took in all my options to choose from and heard a mumbling behind the door at the end of the hall. Pressing my ear against it I heard what sounded like children's voices, a girl and a boy. I opened the door to be sure and found a 10 year old version of Kai and Jo sitting on his bed in deep conversation._

 _Even as a child it would be easy to spot Kai out of a classroom of students; his bright blue eyes and baby face looking adorable in his young age. I stepped closer into the room towards him hoping he would see me but knew better than to think it would be that easy. To find Kai I will need to first go through his memories – whether they are good or bad – and try to go far enough into his mind to save him from himself._

 _"What happened at recess?" Jo asked._

 _Kai crossed his arms, huffing out with his eyes down and eyebrows crinkled._

 _"I punched Jimmy in the nose."_

 _"Why?"_

 _"Cause he's stupid."_

 _I couldn't help smiling at Kai's mini-me; a different outward appearance but still very much the same person on the inside._

 _Jo didn't say anything, a soft expression on her face as she swayed her head from side to side waiting until he was ready._

 _"He just bugs me, and he had it coming! He's always making fun of me and telling me I'm weird when he is the weird one, he doesn't go anywhere without his group of wannabes."_ _Jo laughed and I watched some of the tension slip off his shoulders. "He kept pushing my buttons saying I had no friends and that our family's all messed up too and I wanted to shut him up."_

 _I couldn't help but let out a sad sigh, the significance of this memory slowly starting to reveal itself and casting Kai as an outcast even in his young age._

 _"You do too have friends!" she said agitated. "And I am one of them! You are my best friend."_

 _"I'm your brother," he retorted._

 _"So? I trust you more than anyone and I hang out with you every day; best friend. And I'm yours too."_

 _"Oh really," he laughed "are you telling me this?"_

 _"Yes," she laughed as well "just in case you forget."_

 _I watched him try and push it all out of his mind but there was something in his eyes that he couldn't shake._ _"Am I different?"_

 _Her eyebrows drew in confusion as she stared, realization settling in and her expression changing._

 _"We both are," she smiled and bounced on the bed once, smacking the side of his arm. "We are in a coven of witches! We read spell books! And we are the two that were chosen and destined to be a powerful leader!"_ _Her excitement was causing his darkness to slip away leaving a grin in its place. "We are different Kai; we're way cooler than those losers at school, and it's always going to be that way. As long as we stick together we'll be okay, I promise."_

 _"Family over the coven," he stated, his smile flashing wide._

 _"Ah dad would be so proud," she rolled her eyes and laughed, leaning over the bed to hug him and he wrapped his arms around her too._

 _Their figures started to fade out like a hologram before my eyes, getting lighter and more distant until they were gone completely; leaving me alone in his subconscious. I blinked, slightly panicked, and seconds later they were back on the bed sitting across from each other, a scowl on Kai's little face._

 _"What happened at recess?"_

 _I tilted my head, perplexed, and put together that the memory is set to replay on a never-ending loop. I blew out a sigh of relief, grateful that his first memory didn't end in tragedy and turned back around to the door, inches away from a deep void on the other side; encased in darkness. Checking to see if there were any other ways out, I took a deep breath and walked into the dark shadows._

 _2.  
_

 _I found myself walking back out the front door and into the yard in the middle of the night, an invisible pull dragging me until my feet were planted next to a large tree. I felt a headache brewing in the back of my skull and glanced up at the decent sized treehouse hanging overhead, my gut telling me Kai was sitting inside._

 _"Malachai!" came booming from the open door behind me. Joshua Parker stormed across the yard and stopped within a foot from where I was standing, oblivious to my presence._ _"Malachai get down here!"_

 _"Why?" I heard from up above._

 _"Because you are being idiotic – sleeping in your treehouse? It's one thing that I let you build the thing in the first place but this is ridiculous."_

 _"It helps," I heard as he appeared in the doorway, swinging his legs over and looking down at his father. "I can't sleep, I keep having nightmares that I can't wake up from and they're freaking me out. Up here is quiet, it helps me relax."_

 _Staring up at the newly teenaged Kai it was hard to imagine him building a treehouse on his own from his scrawny appearance. It would have taken more than hard work to be able to pull off something that revolved around time, effort, and a lot of strength._

 _"Oh please Malachai, they're just dreams. They cannot hurt you – it's all in your head."_

 _"I know they can't, but – dad, some of the things I see... it scares me."_

 _"Son," he sighed "you are going to see a lot of scary things in your life. How are you going to lead this coven if you can't handle a couple of bad dreams?"_

 _"They're not just bad dreams!" he argued "they feel real –"_

 _"It's been months..." he interrupted_

 _"And they're getting worse," Kai continued as if his father hadn't spoken,_ _glancing back down and I frowned at the broken look on such a young face. "I don't want to kill Josette."_

 _His father crossed his arms in front of his chest, a condescending look on his face._ _"You wouldn't be killing her; you would be winning the merge and thus becoming the next leader of the Gemini coven. Traits of her personality would be adapted into you and you would become one."_

 _"I know," he sighed._

 _"Besides," he shrugged "this is all if you win the merge. If you can't do what needs to be done in a dream, how do you expect to when the time comes?"_

 _Kai stared down at him and tilted his head to the side, nodding before pushing himself backwards out of sight. I took the opportunity to climb the rope and made my way to the top fairly easily._ _He was leaning directly across from me against the other wall, head back and eyes closed as his chest rose and fell. I climbed in and sat on the wall to the right of me on his left._

 _"Come back inside."_

 _"No."_

 _"You're acting like a child, Malachai! Get down here right now."_

 _His eyes shot open and sliced into thin slits, looking at the open door before crawling over - stared down at his dad - and pulled the rope up out of his reach all the way to the top._

 _"Hopeless," I heard Joshua grumble from below. "Fine, stay out here all night, see if I care." he huffed before walking away._

 _"I will," Kai mumbled. "And you won't."_

 _He sighed and looked to his sides, picking up a tin box next to him and popping it open. He leaned back and pushed his knees up, flipping through the baseball cards aimlessly as he slowly evaporated from sight._

 _I knew in the next few seconds Joshua would be yelling from down below and turned my head towards the opening – now pitch black and impossible to see through. I scooted forward until I was an inch away and tried to look at the ground as I heard 'Malachai' coming from the other side. I shook my head, steering myself for what is to come next, and climbed through._

 _3._

 _I walked out the back door onto the porch and felt a wave of disorientation pass through me feeling like I was in a fun-house walking through one door and ending up somewhere else but within the same place. I also felt uneasiness; starting in the pit of my stomach and working its way up to the same spot in the back of my head that hurt in the last memory, amplifying from being a level deeper into his subconscious._

 _A voice bellowed from across the yard in such pain and anger I swear I could feel the wood vibrating underneath my feet. My breath caught at the instant recognition to the broken sound, my feet propelling over the steps and hitting the ground running. I was fifteen feet away when the door swung open and Kai and Jo appeared on either side._

 _"Go Josette, I'll be fine."_

 _Jo mimicked his hold on her forearms against his. She glanced behind him and he did the same, pushing her out the last step and yelling 'run!' before slamming the door._

 _"Kai – damn it," she mumbled to herself, turning the knob with no success and hitting her fist against the wood once._

 _She turned and leaned her back against the door, her panicked breathing and tears streaming down her face for her brother hitting a deep spot in my chest. After a moment she pushed herself off and walked past me back towards the house, climbing the few steps and sitting facing the shed._ _Placing her hand over the burn mark on her forearm - me fully aware of the pain that came with it - she chanted a spell, gritting her teeth and letting out an agonized noise before breathing deeply and lifting her hand to a now burn-free arm._

 _Another minute passed before the door opened and their father walked out, a distant and cold look on his face as blood covered his nose, chin, and the top of his shirt. He didn't give Jo another glance as he walked around the side of the house towards the front. Jo stood and raced towards the shed, me following close behind, and Kai appeared at the door as she did leaning against the frame. She went to put her arm on his shoulders to help him up but he leaned away._

 _"Stop it, I'm fine."_

 _"You are far from fine Kai, let me help."_

 _"Josette-"_

 _"Shut up," she lifted his head to see if there were any marks on his still untouched face and put his arm around her shoulder, careful to avoid putting her hand against his back and led him towards the house._

 _I followed behind as they walked through the door and up the stairs turning the corner and walking to same door at the end of the hall. Jo pushed it open with her foot and stepped through the opening sideways; the bright colors giving me the distinct impression this was no longer Kai's room too._

 _"Take off your shirt and lay down," she said pulling his arm off her shoulder and standing in front of the bed._ _He stayed where he was, a confused look crossing his face as he cocked an eyebrow._ _"Just do it!"  
_

 _"Ooookay,"he laughed raising his hands in front of him before pulling off his shirt slowly, breathing in sharply at each little movement. He leaned forward and crawled across the bed resting his head up near the pillows slightly diagonal. Jo crawled on one side of him and I took the other side, tears blinding my vision seeing the dark red whip marks up close._

 _I glanced up at Jo and she was wearing what must have been the same expression as me; shock and horror. The marks flittered all across his back; some small and minor barely breaking the skin while others cut so deep his first layer of skin was inches apart with blood streaking down out of the ends._ _I thought I could be sick just from the sight, adding in the factor of Kai suffering setting me over the edge until I leaned forward to steady my dizziness and covered my mouth with the back of my hand._

 _"Okay, this is really going to suck, but you'll feel better after I swear."_

 _Kai let out a noise of despair, gripping the pillow tighter under his chin and tensing. She let out a shaky breath and focused on the small flesh wounds, repeating the chant as Kai let out a variety of sounds of discomfort until she moved onto the more brutal slash marks._

 _"Agh!" he bellowed as she started in on the one near his left shoulder blade with both hands covering it._

 _His entire body was coated in sweat and he gripped the back of his slicked hair with fisted hands, angry groans spilling out of his mouth nonstop. She stayed on that mark longer than any of the others and Kai tried nudging her off by moving his shoulder and leaning the other way._

 _"I know, I'm sorry, I'm almost done. There's just... one more."_ _My eye-line followed hers and I shook my head, my hatred for his father tipping into a new rage that felt so white-hot and vivid it caught me by surprise._ _Jo's hands shook an inch above his back, breathing deeply as a tear slid down her cheek. The slash mark was inches wide in width with multiple layers of skin broken through. The length of it was excruciating; starting below his right shoulder blade and slicing diagonal between his ribs and the small of his back on the left. "Take a deep breath."_

 _She pushed her hands into his flesh and he let out a noise so full of torment my eyes could not stop welling with tears no matter how many times I blinked them away. I tried to see Jo through my haze and saw she was doing the same thing, her words getting clogged with tears as she closed them to continue._

 _I looked back at the wound and saw the magic was causing his skin to fuse together, the sound coming out of him sounding like something stuck in his throat. My heart sank even lower wondering if the pain was causing him to break down like his sister and I and all I wanted in that moment was to comfort him, even if it was just a memory of a traumatic time._

 _His loud broken sounds simmered into whimpers, his deep breathing getting slower as his posture started to relax and it registered that he was passing out from the pain._

 _"Okay, okay I'm done," she lifted her hands off his back and he let out a deep breath, his entire back still looking rigid and sweaty._ _I checked to see her healed work and my lip quivered at the deep red mark that was still visible on the last slash mark._ _"Kai I – I healed all of them and almost every single one is gone but – but there's one that was too deep..."_

 _"So'kay," he mumbled into the pillow._

 _Jo grazed her hand over his back, resting over the mark and him jumping slightly from the ache. She sniffed and leaned forward; grabbing his hand from under the pillow and pulling his arm back towards her. Wrapping her other hand around his she closed her eyes, his sharp inhale and breath of relief as he clenched her hand a clear indication he was siphoning her magic – or – was she willingly giving it to him?_

 _My eyes darted from the back of his head to the side of her face to their interlocked grip, the intense feeling that I was invading his privacy but wanting to know everything that was happening. I tried putting my hand against his back but it went straight through like I was the real-life version of Casper._

 _"What was happening out there?" she asked and her voice was an octave deeper from her emotional state._

 _He didn't speak for a moment, pulling the pillow in closer before loosening his grip._

 _"I want my magic."_

 _Her head shot up. "And you think that's how you get it?"_

 _"Nothing else has worked so far," he shrugged a shoulder._

 _"Kai – that's – are you out of your mind?!"_ _Josette exclaimed letting go of his hand and got off the bed pacing the room, him groaning as he turned to his side to face her. "Do you know how stupid that is? Purposefully putting yourself in a position of pain – TORTURE – for the sake of it maybe triggering something in you? _"Why are you smiling? This is not a smiling matter! What is going on Kai, why are you doing this?"_ "_

 _My chest was hit with a pang seeing the true love and affection his twin sister had towards him and the smile on his face told me he knew it too._

 _"I'm okay Josette, really, you can come back down to Earth now I think your steam just shot you into space."_

 _"This isn't funny!" she huffed and stopped pacing, crossing her hands over her chest. "Why?"_

 _Kai let out a breath, looking away and shaking his head before sitting up and swinging his legs over the bed - me sitting right next to him._

 _"Because I'm sixteen and I'm supposed to be a potential leader of this coven but I still have none of my own magic. I can't even do a basic cloaking spell without hijacking someone else's, plus it's only temporary. Dad suggested physical pain being the barrier I needed to break through and – shit – I've gone through enough by now that I had to see if it would work."_ _Kai looked at her the entire time he spoke, Jo's tension never wavering from her rigid stance leaning against the dresser. "I didn't know what he was going to do, and I didn't know you were home. I never meant to bring you into it too."_

 _"Well I kind of brought myself into it, seeing my brother getting hit by my father and all." She shook her head "I can't believe you."_

 _Kai shrugged once and nodded, grabbing his shirt next to him and putting it back on with a much easier effort and stood up as she was already walking towards him and didn't stop as she barreled straight into his chest._ _Kai almost lost his balance from the momentum but composed himself wrapping his arms around her too. I stood up and walked around them, the resemblance even at this age between them eerie; from their dark hair and bright blue eyes down to their build and height, Kai only an inch or two taller. From a third person standpoint I would assume Kai and Jo were as close as any other set of twins could be. I would never guess what they would grow up into from being in this moment._

 _"You're going to get yourself killed."  
_

 _"The irony would be poetic."_

 _"There's got to be an easier way," she mumbled into his shoulder._

 _"For me? No way," he laughed and I saw her hug him tighter._

 _I stayed facing Jo's back and I watched Kai's expression change, the façade of a smile dropping and his chin resting against her shoulder, his eyes staring down to the side at the floor. Even for a person that has no emotions I could see the beginning of a war rattling around under the surface, itching to break free._ _Their embrace started to fade before my eyes and I knew I reached the end of the memory, my brain so wracked with all the new information I am seeing in vivid detail I couldn't think straight. My heart still ached as I turned around towards the door leading me down to the next level. I didn't think twice as I walked straight through._

 _4._

 _I felt a burning behind my eyes, covering them with my hands and groaning from the sudden and intense pain. I tasted copper and knew what I had anticipated to be true; the deeper into his subconscious I got the more of my magic drained away and I was on a limited supply._

 _"Happy birthday!" a girl squealed and I felt the wind pass as she ran by me._

 _Blinking a few times, my eyes adjusted to the brightness and I looked to my right finding Kai in a locked embrace with a tall Spanish girl. I looked around the rest of the scenery and noticed all the stores surrounding us with the food court directly behind him._

 _"Thank you Gabriela," he chuckled, pulling her tighter before letting go first._

 _I looked at her when they broke apart and was slightly taken back – she was stunning. Years ago Caroline was obsessed with 'Secret Life of the American Teenager' and this girl looks exactly one of the main characters; dark complexion, black hair, and all curves. She wore a black and red leopard print dress that on anyone else probably would have looked ridiculous._ _I checked out his outfit as well and couldn't help laughing at the blatant 90's style he was already sporting; a white unbuttoned shirt over a black skateboard tee with a chain underneath, a matching black hat on backwards, and jeans that are definitely a shade too light._

 _"I can't believe you're already seventeen! And Josette! I know we've only been friends for less than a year but it feels like longer."_

 _"I've known you for longer than that," he smiled "You've been hanging at the house for years."_

 _"I know," she blushed, and my head tilted with a new peaked interest in the conversation. "But we were never that close before."_

 _"I guess," he shrugged, oblivious to her come-on._

 _"So I was thinking," she stepped forward until their chests were almost touching again "maybe we get closer."_

 _Kai's smirk widened into a full grin as he stared into her eyes, her height the same as his in her heels._ _"Oh yeah?"_

 _"Oh yeah."_

 _My eyebrows rose at her forwardness, leaning forward and kissing his cheek before casually walking past him to their group of 4 or 5 friends already in the food court._

 _"Hm," he hummed, snickering to himself before following her. I stayed by his side when I noticed a small curly haired blond pop out of the circle and beeline it for him._

 _"Oh boy," I murmured, glancing at Kai who was still staring at the other girl._

 _"Happy birthday!" she sing-song'd hugging him tight._

 _He smiled and leaned down to hug her back, a look of genuine happiness spreading across his face._

 _"Thank you Courtney."_

 _"So what movie are we seeing?" she stared up at him eagerly when they separated, the top of her head coming up to his chin._

 _The outward appearances of the two girls couldn't have been more different; from skin tone, to hair color, to their height. The only thing they seem to have in common was that they both had their eyes set on Kai._

 _"Pet Sematary."_

 _"Is it scary?"_

 _"It better be," he laughed and she_ _smacked him on the arm taking a step closer._

 _"I hate scary movies! I freak out over everything!" she slid her hand up his arm and back down to his hand. "Will you sit next to me?"_

 _Kai looked down at their interlocked hands and smirked through his squinted stare._ _"Uh, yeah, sure."_

 _Squeezed his hand and letting go, she practically skipped back to their friends. Jo looked at the girl walking towards her and back to her brother, giving the same squinting expression Kai was wearing and walking towards him._

 _"What are you doing?" she asked accusingly._

 _"Nothing," he cracked up._

 _She poked him in the chest, "and why don't I believe you?"_

 _"Maybe you have trust issues," he smirked and Jo_ _stared him down, eyes squinting into slits until he burst out laughing._

 _"Stop flirting with my friends!"  
_

 _"Our friends," he corrected "and I am surprisingly not the one doing the flirting."_

 _Her face turned mortified, spinning her head to look back at her friends before whipping it towards him,_ _"gross."_

 _"Nice."  
_

 _"Well, before I go throw up – here, this is for you."_

 _Kai looked down at the box in her hand then back at her face._ _"How long have we been doing this now? It's both of our birthdays – we don't get each other anything."_

 _"I know, but I hate that rule – and we don't follow it half the time anyway. Besides I didn't even buy this so it's not the same thing."_ _He sighed, his hands still in his pockets. "Are you really not going to accept my gift?"_

 _"Not when I don't have one to give back, no,"_ _he stated and his sister pulled his arm out of his pocket by the sleeve, placing the small box in his hand._ _"_

 _"You're horrible at accepting presents, you should really fix that." Jo stared at him until he gave in, opening the box and instantly smiling, pulling out a silver chain with a pendant on the bottom. I looked closer and noticed it was the same necklace I always saw Kai wearing._ _"It's called a Dara Celtic knot," she stated, grazing her thumb over the symbol. "I don't know too much on it but I researched a little bit; it's supposed to act as a symbol of strength during challenging times, and gives off energy vibes of wisdom, power, destiny, and leadership. And its origin is an oak tree so I thought 'family tee, strength and wisdom'..." she put out her hands as if she was weighing things on each._

 _With a wide smile he put the chain over his rest, resting it over his shirt and flashing it for her to see._

 _"You like?"_ _She giggled and pushed his hand away before walking into his embrace. "Thanks Josette, I love it."_

 _"You're welcome," she smiled "happy birthday."_

 _"Happy birthday to you too," Kai said hugging her tighter._

 _"Come on!" one of the guys in the group hollered. "We're going to be late for the previews and I love that part!"_

 _Both of them laughed and leaned back, a genuine smile on their faces as they made their way to their friends, evaporating from my sight with each step farther they got._ _I stayed there a moment longer, enjoying the piece of happiness I know Kai got to have in his life – away from his father and coven drama. I looked around me and saw an array of open doors but they all lead into the stores and none were black on the other side. I made my way around the rest of the second floor before taking the escalator down to the first and the entrance catching my peripheral. Walking straight through the first set of main doors I didn't break my stride as the opened the second set and was consumed by darkness._

 _5.  
_

 _I came stumbling through the open door, bent over coughing. I felt my heart beating fast and the vertigo hitting me all at once, staying in my bent position so I didn't fall over on the spot. My energy was being pulled from my body at a steady pace through each level, the effects more severe with each memory I get dropped into. I closed my eyes and tried to steady my breathing, giving myself a pep talk of why I am here and what the goal was._ _Standing up I steadied myself, let my equilibrium settle, and headed through the double doors – landing in the middle of a crowded auditorium. I quickly scanned the crowd and didn't see anyone other than adults._

 _"Josette Parker," a voice boomed over the loudspeaker._

 _Everyone cheered as Jo took the stage in her white cap and gown and shook the man's hand before taking her diploma and turning to smile at the camera._

 _"Malachai Parker."_

 _I didn't hear much from the audience but the students erupted in hoots and hollers, Kai's bright smile breaking out as he walked the stage in his black cap and gown, shaking the man's hand and smiling at the camera before taking the diploma and thrusting it in the air. He looked exactly how he does right now, only younger. Even in current day he could pass as an 18 year old with his baby face so this graduate still had a few years to catch up to._ _The classmates continued their cheers through the next student's name and one of staff had to tell them to settle down. I looked over to where Kai had sat next to Jo and could tell he was still laughing, Jo joining in too. I waited until the rest of the names were said and the ceremony ended – all of the students throwing their caps in the air before breaking out in celebration._

 _I spotted Kai in the crowd and moved quickly to not lose him but when I was within an arm's length he was pulled away. I squeezed through the students and searched around for him, his laugh catching my attention and drawing my eyes to the stage where a girl was pulling him off to the side out of view._ _Cocking an eyebrow, I ran up the stairs and turned the corner to find Kai with his body pressed up against a girl, kissing her deeply with his hands in her hair. She moaned and pushed herself into him harder while pulling him closer like she couldn't get enough. He groaned low in his chest and picked her up by her thighs, pushing into her and slamming her off the wall. He trailed his hands down her sides until they rested against her hips. A flush of heat spread through my body as my hands fisted at my sides, quickly unclenching when I noticed the jolt of anger surge through me. Shaking my head, I cleared my mind and focused on what was happening._

 _"Hi," he said when he leaned back._

 _"Hey," she smiled, and I noticed it was the same Spanish girl from his last memory. "I miss you."_

 _"I'm right here," Kai smirked but his eyes darkened when she rolled her hips into his._

 _"I really miss you."_

 _His fingers flexed against her thighs and he turned his head looking straight at me. I froze, my heart in my throat at his intense stare but he continued his look around and turned his head back to her._

 _"And with only an auditorium full of witnesses, your timing is impeccable as always," he teased leaning back in to kiss her and the quick peck turned passionate in an instant, my skin feeling prickly watching amateur porn in person._

 _"Kai," she started after they broke apart "I need to talk to you about something."_

 _"Hm," he murmured "you know I've heard stories about what happens when someone says that line, it usually doesn't end well."_

 _She frowned for a brief moment while Kai's face was still out of view but her smile was in place when he looked back._

 _"Oh, don't be so dramatic! It's about us! And school, and our future-"_ _his groan into her neck cut her off. "Fine, forget it."_

 _"No no, go ahead, tell me all about it."_

 _"You're not taking me seriously."_

 _Sighing, he kissed her nose before grabbing her thighs and putting her back on the ground, leaning forward with one hand against the wall near her head._ _"I'm listening."_

 _"Well, as you know I've been applying to a lot of fashion schools in New York just fishing, not expecting to hear back from anyone but I actually did and I got in!"_

 _I could tell she was trying to keep her emotions in check but she was showing barely contained glee._

 _"That's amazing Gabby," he said back genuinely. "What school?"_

 _"The Art Institute of NYC; they have fashion design and fashion merchandising and it's in the middle of New York and the school looks unbelievable-"she cut herself off, knowing she was rambling. "I'm really excited."_

 _"I can see that," he smiled "I'm excited for you too; I know how much you wanted to get in there."_

 _"I want you to come with me," she rushed out._

 _Kai's smile caught, fading as his eyebrows went down with it._ _"Move to New York?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _"I-"_

 _"I know - you haven't applied to anywhere there or given it any thought but there is still time! And your grades are one of the best in the class you can go anywhere you want, why not New York?"_ _I was standing a little too close for comfort, what would seem stalker'ish and overbearing to the average person but fortunately I was in a world all of my own at the moment. I watched her joyful expression turn confused as Kai's face stayed frozen, genuinely shocked. "Answer me."_

 _"I can't-"he lifted his other hand from his side and dragged it down the side of his face in discomfort. "I can't move across the country. My mom, she just got pregnant and there's so many tiny people running around they need Jo and I there."_

 _My breath caught at the mention of his mother, never hearing anything about her before and the sharp twinge over the pregnancy that will bring the new set of twins into the world; setting off the ripple effect of Kai's demise._

 _"Your dad can handle that on his own, and he will have Jo to help him and your mom right after her pregnancy. They don't need you, I do – please."_

 _Kai smiled at her kind words and the hidden truth that she didn't realize she said but I could still read tension from his posture._ _"It's complicated."_

 _"What's so complicated? Its family issues I know all about it, the farther you get away from them the better off you'll be."_

 _"You're right about that."  
_

 _"Then let's do it! I'm in love with you Kai, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."_

 _"You don't know what you're talking about," he answered instinctively._

 _Gabby's head shot back taken by surprise and her tone was sharp._ _"Excuse me?"  
_

 _"No, it's just... you don't... know... what you're talking about." I could see the wheels turning and the gears locking in place as Kai tried and failed to figure out the correct thing to say._

 _"And what don't I know what I'm talking about over? That I love you? I want to spend my life with you?"_

 _"No, well yeah, but –no! I'm talking about my family; we're not like everyone else, and we have these different set of rules-"_

 _"'Well yeah'?" she quoted, pushing him by the shoulders and him letting her by taking a step back. "It's been a year and you don't know if I love you by now?"_

 _"That's not-"_

 _"Or that I wouldn't know if I wanted to be with only you forever?"_

 _"Well..." he shrugged in a 'give or take' gesture._

 _Stepping forward Kai's girlfriend him across the face and the crack echoed behind the stage, looking at her out of the corner of his eye through a sliced stare and stepped closer while she stood her ground._

 _"Why did you do that?" he said in a gruff voice._

 _"Because you don't believe me!"_

 _"I wouldn't believe anyone who said that to me!"_

 _"Wha - why?"_

 _"Because it's bullshit."_

 _My eyebrows shot up at the drastic turn of events, the girl wearing an expression like he had slapped her back._

 _"You're such an ass," she let out as her eyes watered._

 _"Gabbs," he sighed, reaching out for her but she put up her hand to ward him off._

 _"You don't want to spend forever with me," he smiled "you don't even want to spend this moment with me; it's okay"_

 _"That's because you're being a jerk."_

 _"I'm being honest," he said with sincerity, and I had to admit for the terrible way he was breaking the news to her he was trying to be kind and let her down not-so-gently._

 _Tears streamed down Gabby's face and he looked torn between continuing and stopping for her benefit, or his own – crying seemed to make him extremely uneasy. Kai walked forward and the strength in his chest easily won over the strength her hands had pushing against him. He crushed his body into hers and wrapped her up tight, her body shaking from sobs as he dropped his chin on her shoulder. He turned so his back was against the wall and they held each other in silence for a minute._

 _"I love you," Gabriela mumbled into his shirt and a look of sadness took on his features._ _"I love you," she said with more confidence, most likely assuming if she said it enough he would believe it._

 _"No, you don't," he murmured and she_ _tried pushing herself out of his embrace but he held onto her. "I'm sorry, don't be mad, I just know... you don't – you can't."_

 _"Get off of me!" she yelled still trying to yank herself out of his grip with no success. "How do you know what I feel?!"_

 _"Because I know how you feel about me," Kai responded in a calm voice. "I've had a year to see it from a different person's standpoint. I know you like hanging out with me, and doing things together, and the sex is phenomenal - but that deep connection that drives couples insane with jealousy and insecurities isn't a part of our relationship. We don't argue, we've never really fought over anything the entire time we've known each other; there's no drama."_

 _"Because you're easy to get along with!" she shot back, "I do love you."_

 _"If you loved me, you would have tried to kill me by now," he smiled._

 _"That's ridiculous! Why is it so farfetched to believe?"_

 _"Stop it Gabby."_

 _"No, tell me."_

 _Letting go of her she backed away out of his reach with her arms crossed, and he tried switching tactics._ _"I know you believe it."  
_

 _"But you don't."_

 _Blowing out a breath Kai leaned off the wall, walking farther backstage and putting distance between them._ _"I knew this conversation wasn't going to go over well."_

 _"Because you're saying all the wrong things," she swiped at her cheek._

 _"That's nothing new," he smirked_ _and she walked over to him putting her hands against his stomach._

 _"I love you, I'm gonna keep telling you until it finally sinks in. I love-"_

 _Kai gripped her wrists with her hands still against his abs, his expression changing with the shift in the atmosphere._ _"Knock it off."_

 _"I love you Malachai Parker, with all –"_

 _"No you don't!" he pushed her hands off his stomach and she pushed him back._

 _"Why not?!"_

 _"Because nobody could!" Kai boomed, his voice echoing behind the stage and bringing people's attention from the audience. His breathing was harsh as his mind played through what most would consider emotional as he fought his way through to get out the words._ _"I don't get a happy ending, and I don't end up with the girl."_

 _"You have me," she said, her startled expression telling me exactly how confused she was._

 _"You don't know me, Gabby, not as well as you think. You can't love me because you don't know the real me – you wouldn't like him."_

 _"Let me get to know the real you then."_

 _"Well that would be great if you weren't moving across country to go to a kick ass school in New York."_

 _I could see he was trying to let her down and avoid a major blowup but I got the sinking feeling that both were inevitable._ _"Then come with me Kai, we can start fresh, we-"_

 _"I can't leave my family," he said with a tone of finality._

 _"You would choose them over me?" she asked with bewilderment._

 _"I'm choosing me, Gabriela; you wouldn't understand why and I can't explain it."_

 _Nodding and standing tall I could tell from the change in her stance that she switched up tactics as well._ _"Do you love me? Because I think if you did there would be a moment of thought to leaving with me. Or hell – even hesitant to me leaving in the first place and asking me to stay here."_

 _"Why would I do that? I know how much you want to be in New York."_

 _"Because you don't want us to be apart!"_

 _I really felt for both of them in this moment; Kai and his genuine confusion to every emotion this girl is throwing at him and Gabriela for not knowing the real person behind the façade._

 _"We - never," he scratched the back of his head and _walked up to her before she could back away, holding onto the sides of her upper arms. "_ Oh man, I've seen one too many movies I already know where this is going. You know I like you Gabby, and that I like having you in my life – but when we first got together I told you it wasn't going to get serious and turn into living together and babies because that's not me. I like spending time with you, and I will miss you, but I'm not moving away with you."_

 _I had to give this girl credit for not falling into a puddle on the spot because I could see her heart was breaking. Even if Kai couldn't recognize it, she was definitely in love with him._

 _"Do you love me, Kai - did you ever?" Gabby questioned and he_ _didn't break eye contact but made no inkling to speak, clenched his jaw and searching her eyes._ _"Just say it!"_

 _"No," he sighed, "I didn't."_

 _Kai glanced at her hand and sensed it was coming but let her slap him anyway, watching her turn and run across the stage to the other side of the curtains and out the Exit door. I turned back to Kai who was still staring at where he saw her last, his hands fisted at his sides before turning and pushing open the other Exit door._

 _I looked back at both doors again for good measure, wondering if it was going to be like a movie where one runs back in and realizes their mistake then the other follows within seconds – but this is his 7 levels of Hell, not a fairytale; and Kai's life was definitely not a movie._ _I already felt queasy with the insight of knowing I was going to feel worse the moment I step through that door but my feet refused to break their stride as they brought me through the same exit that Kai just walked out into utter darkness._

 _6._

 _I came stumbling through the front door of the house landed on my hands and knees, throwing up what little amount I had in my system. My vision blurred and I couldn't see past the black spots that blinded me, shutting them tight and trying to steady my breathing. After a moment the nausea passed and I opened my eyes, the dizziness still there but slowly dissipating._ _Holding onto the doorframe behind me I stood up and heard laughter as kids ran past me. I turned and watched two squealing kids, no older than 11 dart around the corner into the next room and a girl that couldn't have been a year or two older running closely behind. They all giggled and yelled as they chased each other around and continued out the back door into the backyard._

 _I smiled as I followed the laughter down the hall, looking at all the open entrances along the way and not finding another person. I headed up the stairs straight for Jo's bedroom and found no one inside but did come across another sibling sitting on his bed looking like he's close to graduating in one of the other bedrooms. My heart sank at the feeling of dread that flooded my system; if one of Kai's siblings is at least 16 then he would have to be getting close to 22._ _My blood pressure spiked up a notch as I took the stairs two at a time back down and heard a crash from another room. I ran around the corner and came face to face with present day Kai, my feet melting into the floorboards on sight._

 _Kai wore a basic white t-shirt with the dark red maroon sweatshirt he wore the first time we met and typical 90's jeans. His boyish face looked even more innocent in his flashback, not realizing until this moment that the years spent in the prison world did age him in more ways than one. He bent forward to pick up the box full of papers and I noticed his chain hanging in front of him._

 _"Let's try this again, I'll take this box, you grab that one – and I'll lead the way!" he laughed and stumbled towards the door._

 _He glanced next to him and stopped, balancing the box on his knee in one hand and reaching for the liquor bottle with the other, dropping it in the box and walking past me and around the corner. I followed him as Jo trailed behind me and came to an open door leading downstairs as he hit the last step and turned to the right. I ran down the stairs and my eyebrows rose in surprise._

 _From the bottom step the wall trailed all across the left side and brought me into a small living room in front of me with a loveseat and recliner on the far wall. Kai sat down on the loveseat and put the box down next to him as Jo started down the stairs. I got off the step and looked off to the far right hand corner past the few pillars that separated the rooms and noticed a large desk in the corner with a bookcase and big lamp in between._ _I crossed the room and looked through all the books surprised to find a lot of great American Literature authors within the spell books and Grimoire's that Kai would have read in his free time. I couldn't help smirking at his pristine desk and how everything was in its place. My eyes kept trailing to the right to the rest of the room._

 _From this view Kai and Jo were off to my right in his hangout area, the stairs are directly across and his Queen-sized bed was to my left. Something on the wall caught my attention and I stepped closer until I saw the purple light attacked, checking the posters and laughing at the fact that Kai had a black light and posters in his chill pad in the basement._ _The basement had been completely refurnished and rearranged to become Kai's bedroom, with half of the floor near his living room area carpeted and his bedroom section still concrete with throw rugs. Overall I felt like I stepped into the 90's and I had the Nirvana and Alice in Chains posters to prove it._

 _"Dad is going to kill us," Jo mumbled, picking up one of the folders._

 _"Oh don't fret, he'd come for me long before you – plenty of time for a quick getaway."_

 _"Yeah right," she rolled her eyes, swiping the half full bottle of booze and taking a long sip before handing it back to him._ _The dark liquid sloshed against the sides as he took a gulp, and then another, his lips shimmering when he pulled the bottle away. I walked over to where he was, glancing at the papers in his hand before sitting down across from them on the recliner. "What are we even looking for?"_

 _"Evidence," he stated, his eyes clearly glazed over and his lazy smile giving away his tipsiness. "A clue, a breadcrumb – something. I'm going to find out what's going on the best way I know how; stealth-mode."_

 _"Kai, we're 21, I think our 'stealth-mode' antics became well known once we hit double digits."_

 _"21 ½," he corrected "and we are constantly switching up our game plan to keep them on their toes – fight the man – all of that motivational talk!" he thrust the bottle into the air for added effect._ _"We've looked through everything else in his study and came up squat,_ _these are the last two boxes in this house that I have not looked through, and they were buried in the corner of the locked closet piled underneath a mountain of crap."_

 _"You know you're obsessed, right?" she _concluded and Kai picked up one of the boxes and dumped it on both of their laps and_ picked up one of the folders, flipping through the pages reading the titles and headers on each one._ _"Because this, what's been going on for over two years is borderline dangerous in how much it has consumed and controlled you-"_

 _"Nothing controls me."_

 _"It has a grip on your mind," she shot back, "it has a hold on you and is changing you so – yes Kai – it is controlling you."_

 _Kai shrugged and took another sip, "_ _something isn't right."_

 _"They are our brother and sister," she stressed._

 _"They are our competition," he said back with enunciation "how don't you see that?"_

 _"Maybe because I'm not so dark and twisty, and that's not a usual thought that crosses my mind. I like to see them as our loving little siblings-"_

 _"That will take our power-"_

 _"That we need to protect." she finished._

 _"Protect?" he asked baffled, looking away from the papers._

 _"Yes Kai, protect them – from dad, from..." she glanced away not able to meet his eyes and he_ _stayed staring at her, his eyes still glazed and hazy but unwavering._

 _"From what?"_

 _"From... what he does, how he would treat them, what he would put them through..."_

 _"You can say what he does - to me - it's alright, I already know."_ _Josette tried to roll her eyes at him as a brush off but ended up just looking down at the carpet, momentarily lost in thought. "And we don't need to protect them from that," he continued "he's not going to treat them the same way, just like he hasn't treated any of his other kids like that."_

 _"That's different," she countered, "they aren't twins."_

 _"Doesn't matter, they'll be fine," he_ _tossed the folder back into the box and grabbed the next one._

 _"How can you be so sure?"_ _she questioned and he ignored her interrogation, scanning through the pages at a rapid pace until she smacked the side of him arm. "Kai!"_

 _"Because I am! I know him better than anyone, and I know exactly how he thinks. I know he won't hurt them just like he hasn't touched any other coven member because the rest of you are normal."_ _Throwing the folder into the box and pushed it away from him Kai reached for another in the one Jo was holding. "He's not after twins, Josette, he's after me. I am what he's spent our entire life trying to break and mold into something else, you've just been the innocent bystander by my side."_

 _"I thought he was trying in his own sick way to help you?"_

 _"I did too, and he planned it out so methodically - so manipulative. The man is smart, but I may just be smarter."_ _He stopped flipping one of the pages, reading the title and bringing it up closer. "Medical records of patient Mrs. Elizabeth Parker (Maiden name: Laughlin)."_

 _"I don't think you should be reading that," she tried to snatch it out of his hand but he stood up and wandered around the immediate area._

 _"Came in for premature labor of twins, no complications through childbirth. _Severe complications post-labor, major hemorrhaging and abdominal pain,_ " he said everything out loud but he was saying it to himself._ _I felt the air thinning in the room, my head feeling light from the sudden loss of breath over what he is saying. Up until this point I've never heard Kai speak a word about his mother, good or bad, and it always bothered me that I had no idea what her story was. "Aren't problems during childbirth – you know – during childbirth? She shouldn't have been having problems after when she was fine the whole way through."_

 _"I don't know, it's not unheard of to have complications after."_ _Looking back at the paper his face turned into an impassive mask as he read all the way to the bottom, gripping it in his hand as he put it down to his side._ _"What is it?"_

 _"Look," Kai mumured staring dead ahead at the wall avoiding her gaze, his vacant stare bringing an icy chill down my spine.  
_

 _Josette got off the couch and grabbed the folder out of his hand, scanning to where he read last and reading through the rest, her confused look turning uneasy as her face turned a pale shade of green. "Autopsy showed uterus was charred from within with a brand burned into the side," she read through a shaky voice "cause unknown and under suspicious investigation."_

 _"Look at the bottom," his voice deadpanned._

 _"Symbol 1A (center, right) two straight vertical lines, two curved horizontal lines on either side; similar to Roman Numeral," she_ _read looking at the picture and up to him,"Kai that's-"_

 _"The Gemini symbol; odd how that would somehow end up inside her," Kai observed_ _taking the folder and flipped back a few pages. "If this is what happened to her at the end, there has to be something on what was going on during," he murmured before stopping on another page._

 _ _What?"_ _she asked nervously and he glanced from the page to Jo's face half a dozen times before speaking.__

 _"You've got to be kidding me. The twins; they're not supposed to be twins!"_ _Kai laughed harshly walking the few steps to her and thrust the papers in her face pointing to a spot. "Mrs. Elizabeth Parker monitored through first trimester with healthy vitals of baby, brought back in during second trimester and discovered there was a second heartbeat that was overlooked the first time; extremely rare."_

 _"What... does that mean?"_

 _"It means I'm not the only abomination in this family. Mom was only pregnant with one child, magically a second one appears and after that her womb was cursed and branded with our sigil – I wonder how that could have happened."_

 _I had to sit back down on the recliner, my hand over my mouth as I absorbed all of this information at once. Kai's mother – who is deceased – passed away during childbirth of the other set of twins; a pregnancy that Kai is just discovering was not the usual or uncomplicated routine that it was so many times before. In one way or another Joshua Parker used magic on his wife to ensure that she finally had another set of twins to become the next leader, consequences be damned._

 _Kai walked over to the loveseat, grabbing the bottle off the couch and kicking the box next to it, papers flying all over the floor. He huffed and flipped over the next box, his posture tensing as he turned and let out a frustrated noise hurling the bottle at the wall above his desk._

 _"Jesus!" Jo yelled jumping back a step "what the hell?!"_

 _"Don't you get it?" he yelled back, turning to face her so they were only a foot apart. "He planned them, he made sure another set of twins were born so we wouldn't be able to lead. He wanted to make it so we would have a limited amount of time – if any – and a definite way to knock us back down."_ _I could tell his breathing started to pick up and his eyes got darker – calmer – a dangerous look I've seen once or twice before. "If he used magic to make it happen, he must have been desperate by that point. What if he was trying to have twins the entire time?"_

 _"That's ridiculous," she said shaking her head "they wanted a big family, a base for the coven and for the Gemini coven to get stronger off of... you know this."_

 _"I know that's what he has told us," Kai countered "and I know what my own opinion is – they seem to counteract each other."_

 _"Kai," she walked in front of him and gripped his wrists "please, don't do this. Don't let him get in your head again you're stronger than him-"_

 _"I know I am."_

 _"So don't let him get the upper hand! Even if he did do that... which I'm not saying he did because that is seriously messed up but even if he did we are still going to be the leader of this coven regardless."_

 _"For 18 years, not a day longer. You really want to have a time frame on how long you can rule over what has been rightfully given to you that you worked for? It's supposed to be one of our children - not our siblings, that takes the throne and I didn't plan of having any kids in this lifetime."_

 _"Kai please, nothing good can come from this. You've been drinking and you get really impulsive and stubborn, if you question him on this he'll be furious, he'll-"_

 _"Malachai!" boomed from the floor above, causing all of us to look overhead then back at the papers on the ground._

 _Jo let go of him and scrambled to pick up the papers but he crouched down and reached out for her shoulder._

 _"Don't bother, he already knows. Besides - I'm ready for him."_ _Kai smirked and her eyes shot looking panicked as she shook her head._

 _"We can leave right now," she wrapped her hand back around his wrist. "I'll give you a quick dose of magic and we can cloak ourselves and walk right out the door."_

 _Jo tried to keep her voice steady but her eyes were pleading and he smiled at her attempt, taking her hand off his wrist. They glanced overhead when they heard heavy footsteps heading towards the basement door and she stood up quickly._

 _"You should go," Kai suggested standing up casually "you probably won't want to be here for this."_

 _"I'm not leaving! We both broke into his study and looked through his stuff."_

 _"Not going to solve anything if he's yelling at us both," he said glancing at the stairs leading up to his door and heard his dad trying to open it struggling against what must have been a lock Kai put on._ _"Time to go, run along."_

 _"No."_

 _"Off you go," he did a 'shoo' motion towards her with both hands._

 _"Kai-"_

 _Jo was cut off by the door breaking through the lock and banging off the wall, his loud footsteps slowly descending. Kai's eyebrows drew in and he grabbed her wrist pulling her towards him._

 _"Leave." It wasn't a question._

 _Searching his eyes for another moment before sighing and closing hers, Josette mumbled the chant quickly and evaporating the same time Joshua Parker came into view, looking passed Kai at the papers thrown around behind him on the floor and couch._

 _"What do you think you're doing?"_

 _"Oh, just some light reading," Kai said nonchalantly, lifting his arm and gesturing to everything behind him. "You'd be surprised what you can find in this house, some really interesting things you'll learn. _Like this one, for example,_ "_ _he turned picking up the folder off the couch that had everything on his mother and shook it in his hands taking a step closer, the scared thirteen year old and intimidated sixteen year old nowhere to be found in his cold stare. I took a few steps back so I was leaning against the pillar between the two a safe distance away for good measure._

 _"Did you know that during your wife's pregnancy of the twins their comfy home was being charred to a crisp all around them?" Kai let in a sharp breath through his teeth, making an 'eeek' face as he shrugged a shoulder. Seeing his calm and playful composure on the surface and knowing how truly enraged he was underneath sent a jolt of awareness through me that triggered another wave of vertigo, my hands clenching at my sides over my uneasiness._ _"I don't know that sounds like more of a personal problem for mommy dearest and yet – I have the distinct feeling that you had something to do with it."_

 _His father didn't say anything as he stared him down with a ruthless expression, possibly expecting Kai to bend under pressure but he held his ground with his cheeky smile._ _"Dip into the magic fund and conjure up a fresh new set of twins, did ya'?" he cocked his head to the side, his eyes flashing the heat simmering behind._

 _Without a word Joshua lifted his hand towards him and closed his fist, a strangled noise coming from Kai's throat as his airway got cut off._ _"You shouldn't go poking around in things you don't want to know the answer to, you could get hurt."_

 _Kai tried not to make a sound to show weakness, his eyes closing briefly as he gripped the front of his chest. His eyes sliced into his fathers and he walked towards him without breaking stride taking Joshua by slight surprise. He unclenched his fist to open his airway and lifted his hand palm towards Kai and nudged forward sending him backwards onto the couch. He let out an annoyed grunt and quickly got up barreling towards him but Joshua's palm moved down to the floor and Kai was frozen in place._

 _"Are you really that afraid of me?" Kai asked through gritted teeth. "You need to make up these Frankenstein hybrids to lead this coven over me - your first born son?"_

 _"There is something wrong with you Malachai, you aren't fit to lead this coven... you never were."_

 _"You made me like this!" he yelled, struggling to break through the spell. "Just like you made the twins for your own dark demands – I wonder if good ol' karma will drop by with a present for you."_

 _"I did what was necessary!"_ _Kai barked out a laugh. "I thought that if I could break through to you then your magic would be triggered and the dark cloud would be lifted, but there is no cloud – you are the darkness, and you are a danger to us all."_ _I expected Kai to say an angry comment back or be a little wounded at his father's remark but a soft smile started in the corner of his mouth and spread across the rest of his face; a chilling look that was deeply unsettling._ _Kai let out a breath and stumbled a step forward from pressing up against the invisible wall. He glanced at his foot then back at his father, taking another step and breaking into a wide grin. Joshua held up his other hand and closed his fist, Kai hesitating slightly before pushing through it and walking straight for him. "How are you doing this? Did you devour your sister's magic again?"_

 _Kai didn't slow down his momentum and rushed forward slamming him into the wall, locking his hands around his forearms and squeezing. A pained noise left his father's lips as Kai snarled and tightened his grip so hard his knuckles were white._

 _"No, just yours."_

 _"Agh!" his father roared sending Kai flailing backwards into the wall and landing on the loveseat._

 _Putting up his hands towards Kai's face, flashing a pained expression before shaking himself out of it, he stood facing him head on and_ _cupped his hands together puttig his lips between his thumbs like he was trying to warm them up._

 _Phesmatos Pyrox Morsinus Illum_

 _he said into his hands before unclasping them and leaving his left hand in front of him fisted as his right palm facing out pulled back towards him and thrusted forward, sending a grunt out of his father as he leaned forward._

 _"Again," he did the same motion towards his head and it cracked backwards off the wall; repeating it as the final one hit his dad's chest and he wheezed trying to catch his breath. "Did you know that I can harness the magic and physically push it out of my body? Kind of like little magic death blows. Pretty cool right, yeah I've taught myself a few things."_

 _Joshua threw up his hand palm up but Kai raised his clenched like a claw and seemed like he caught his father's magic, taking a step back from the force. Closing his hand he took a deep breath, swallowing the magic and pushing it back out through his other hand with a fatal strike to his face._

 _"Malachai-"_

 _"Oh yeah,I can actually break through the witches hold on their magic once it leaves their body too; I guess I forgot to mention it."_ _The noise I heard from Joshua was more of a roar then anything, baring his teeth and looking like a rabbit animal as they thrust both arms towards Kai and had him in an invisible vice grip, squeezing the air out of his body and throwing him at the pillar. I dove out of the way but I felt his body collide through my lower half and the instant disorientation had me falling to my knees. Kai tried standing but his father slammed his hand off the ground, keeping him on the ground._ _"I know what you're planning old man, it took me years to figure it out but my eyes are wide open – and I see you... you don't scare me."_

 _Namia Exom Solvos_

 _A flame rose from my peripheral in front of Joshua and wrapped around him until he was encased in a ring of fire. Kai stood slowly, walking within an inch of the fire and stared into his father's eyes._ _"You're a coward, and a liar. I have fought my entire life to have magic – to be powerful - and I will make sure that happens no matter what the cost. You think your B-twins are any match for me?"_

 _"They will take away everything that's yours!" Joshua argued, "It's why they were created, to make sure you fail – and you will Malachai. They will become the 2.0 twins; new and improved and stronger than you and your sister could ever be."_

 _"One of us exudes magic, and the other devours it – I don't think you'll find anyone more forceful than us."_ _I was standing next to them and I wasn't sure if I was seeing the flames reflecting in Kai's eyes or if it was his own simmering rage setting himself ablaze from within. He stepped even closer to the point I was positive he could feel the heat burning his skin. "Remember this moment dad; when I win the merge – and we both know I will –"his voice dropped to a low whisper "you're the first person I'll be visiting."_

 _His father attempted to hit him with another dose of magic but the ring of fire rendered his feeble try useless. Kai smirked and without another word, walked around him and upstairs heading for the back door. I just made it to the top step when I noticed Jo was waiting there for him._

 _"Did you stay for the show?" Kai asked amused and_ _Jo tried not to be a dead giveaway but she couldn't help it, shrugging and laughing along with him. "I told you to leave I could handle it."_

 _"Yeah, like I was really gonna leave," she pushed his shoulder "besides, I just wanted to even the playing field. A protection shield goes a long way with you."_

 _Kai shook his head and looked out the door but I could see the hidden smile behind his eyes, unintentionally showing his gratitude. Kai walked out the door and she followed behind, soft chatter between the two as they faded away and a black haze took their place._

 _I stared straight ahead, my equilibrium still not feeling entirely in tact since I walked into this level and gave me sense of fight or flight against my next and final feat; his seventh level of Hell – where I would find the real Kai not a dream or memory. I closed my eyes, not wanting to think about what I was about to find and ran full force through the entrance._

 _7._

 _I felt the cold night chill hit my face and bare arms as a chill raced up my spine against the hard ground. I turned my head to the side, groaning with my eyes still closed as bright streaks flashed behind my eyelids. I stayed in the same position for what felt like minutes, trying every twenty seconds or so to open my eyes or lift my head with little success. The nausea was so clear it felt like I was fighting against a mean hangover, my body rejecting any and all attempts of life, my subconsciously slowly trying to take over and pull me out from the deepest level of Kai's mind._

 _A scream from within the house forced my eyes open, followed by another painful shriek from the same young girl's voice. I lifted my lower half off the ground and took in the nighttime scene of Kai's house and heard a loud crash from inside. As quickly as my body would manage I pulled myself up off the ground and dragged my heavy legs across the yard – my entire body feeling like I was moving underwater._

 _I leaned against the door to push it open and screamed; a teenage boy and girl were hanging from the stairwell railing six feet off to my left. I stumbled backwards into the doorframe, covering my mouth with the back of my hand and gagging at the sight. My vision blurred with tears and my head started to pound, the heaviness amplifying with each emotion I feel. I heard a splash coming from the backyard followed by a garbled scream, my heart dropping to the pit of my stomach as I internally battled with myself over going outside. My body won against my mind as my feet forced me to the backdoor and onto the porch._

 _"Kai," I let out horrified, my eye-line going directly across the yard to the aboveground pool._

 _Kai was standing on the latter leaning over the brother in high school and holding him underwater, the terrified sounds and violent splashes sending a sharp sense of panic through my entire body. I ran over to him and tried to push him off the latter but my hand went straight through him and I landed on the ground._

 _His brother continued to thrash and fight against his tight grip on him but no matter how hard he pulled he couldn't lift his head above the water to take a breath. I looked through blurred tears from the pool to Kai's unrecognizable expression and the devastation knocked the wind out of me as I bent over taking short breaths and gasping for air. I could feel my body sway and knew if I didn't get it together I was going to pass out, or be catapulted from his mind._ _I heard the splashing go still and hesitated before glancing up at the back of Kai's head walking back towards the house. I didn't dare look back at the pool as I chased after him._

 _"Where are they, Josette?" he hollered with lightness in his voice, walking around the first floor and grabbing a bat that was leaning against his door._ _"Come on out Jo, I know you can hear me."_

 _Kai's outward appearance was off-putting against the current situation to say the least. He wore a pink shirt that had different colored circles making a target in the front, a white long sleeve underneath and faded green cargo pants. Blood covered parts of his shirt and hands; dark red marks were near his pockets from constantly wiping them clean and his innocent face was long gone under this penetrating stare, giving me the gut feeling that this is in fact the Kai that I've come to know._

 _"Come on Kai, snap out of it! This is a dream! It's all in your head, come back!"_

 _I screamed as I walked all around him and followed him around the house, trying to touch him, throw things at him, and block his path all to no avail. He opened the last door downstairs then headed for the second floor but I got to the stairs first and sprinted to the top, running through the closed doors and walls and finding Jo instantly_ _; holding her bloody stomach with a knife behind her back, motioning for the twins to get under the bed._

 _"We're just playing a game, shh, let's play hide and seek."_

 _Kai walked in the moment they were settled under the bed, scanning the room and walking around slowly, making his way over to the bed and pausing before over to the dresser. His hand was raised to open the door when he stopped, glanced over his shoulder, and went back to standing in front of the bed. He reached down for the box spring and I held my breath as he flipped the entire bed and frame over and found Jo underneath._

 _"Where are they?" Kai asked quietly and s_ _he whimpered shaking her head as he went around the room, switching between looking for the twins and staring back at her. He opened the walk-in dresser and slammed the doors then kicked them, loud noises echoing from the wood and Jo's cries and walked back over to her picking up the bat on his way over._ _"WHERE ARE THEY?"_

 _Kicking her in the stomach where she was wounded Josette cried out causing the twins to run from their cloaked hiding place in the dresser out the bedroom door. Kai looked back at them then glared at her before following them out and down the hall._ _I knelt down next to Jo and tried desperately to get her attention to it was no use; it was the equivalent to talking to any other figment of my imagination. I leaned forward on my hands and knees to steady my breathing and listened to Jo's whimpers to herself about needing to get up, need to find the twins, need to use her magic against him-_

 _I looked over at her quickly, a thought blinding me with how fast it hit me. I let out a fast breath and turned to her with my hands raised over her chest,_ _starting to chant and almost throwing up from the last bit of magic tasting like battery acid on my tongue as it surged out of me. I felt a sharp jolt and closed my eyes through the pain, opening them to find myself lying on the floor, holding the wound on my stomach. I looked around the room then back at my bloodied shirt and sighed with relief, at least one thing I tried has worked. I got up as quickly as I could – the stab wound in my stomach feeling painfully real – and followed Kai's voice down the stairs._

 _"Olivia... Lucas... come out come out wherever you are..."_ _I was almost to the last step when Kai turned the corner and stared me down. "Just tell me where they are Josette, you know I won't kill you."_

 _Kai's voice was soft but his demeanor was lethal, his posture rigid and his eyes too far gone for recognition._

 _"Kai, can you hear me?" I rushed out "I'm not Jo, I'm Bonnie – something really weird is going on and-"_

 _Yanking me off the last step and pushing me into the wall next to it he pressed his forearm underneath my neck._ _"I'm not playing games Josette, tell me where they are."_

 _I grabbed onto the sides of his face making sure his eyes were locked in on mine._ _"My name is Bonnie Bennett; I am trapped in a prison world created for you because of what you did tonight. Your sister tricks you to protect the twins and your father banishes you, you've been alone for 18 years." I held onto the sides of his neck tighter and pulled him closer "I know you can remember Kai."_

 _Searched my eyes for a moment a skeptical look on his face passed as he pressed his arm harder against my throat._ _"What the hell are you talking about, the last 18 years? So I've been on my own since I was 4? Sounds about right to me, now tell me where they are Josette-"_

 _"I am not Jo!" I huffed, pushing against his chest as he pushed back._

 _My brain kicked into overdrive at finally being at the significant moment I've been waiting for and having no plan to convince him what he's seeing isn't real. Since my first altercation with Kai I have never had a plan go correctly or how I expected it to be – some of my greatest outcomes have been at the expense of logic and order and solely rested upon instinct and intuition, a factor I'm hoping will work in my favor tonight.  
_

 _"Just stop and think for a minute... please. This has happened before, a long time ago, you've already gone on a murder spree – which by the way you never ended up killing the twins so you should stop trying – and you've been imprisoned because of it. Now that I'm seeing it up close it's a little more... real, but you have paid for it."_ _I moved my hand away from the side of his neck to get his forearm off my windpipe, he was slow and hesitant but I managed to pry him off and he stood a foot away in a defensive pose. "Your dad is in the prison world right now possessing your body, trying and almost succeeding in killing you and you're letting him! He is feeding you lies from within, keeping you locked away in the darkest and lightest parts of your mind. You're playing into his game Kai, that's all this is; I know you're smarter than him – please."_

 _Kai stared at me the entire time I spoke with a constant level of uncertainty; his defense on red alert and the words I'm saying sounding completely irrational coming from his twins mouth. And yet... he hasn't tried stabbing her – me – again._

 _"Josette," he shook his head._

 _"No! Say it with me – Bonnie." I stared at him, then huffed and made a gesture when he did nothing until he said my name._

 _"Again," I ordered._

 _"I don't know who you are Bonnie, or what you're trying to pull. Or is it Josette-Bonnie? Jo-Bonnie, Jo-Bon-"he hesitated, scrunching his eyebrows and a brief flicker flashed in his eyes._

 _"Yes! Bon, Bonnie, the Bennett witch – whatever title will trigger something. I can see it in your eyes Kai, tucked in the back of your mind, you can break through this."_ _I inched so there was no distance between us and grabbed his hand. "If I was Jo right now; 1. this would be extremely uncomfortable and more importantly 2. you would be able to steal my magic. I used my last bit to get here, in a Jo!mirage and all to bring you back. I have no way out of here without you, I need you to trust me."_

 _Kai hadn't said a word in what seemed like five minutes but I felt like we were having a full conversation from the intensity of his stare and the wheels turning behind his icy blue eyes._

 _"Your father told me I'm your strength, that I am what's keeping you tethered to the real world. Please, believe me, I'm on your side - I'm here for you Kai."_

 _"You're confusing me," he whispered, holding the side of his head with his other hand and inhaling a sharp breath. He groaned and leaned forward, his eyes shut tight before shaking his head and pushing me forward until I landed against the wall._ _"You're tricking me."_

 _"I'm not, I'm the only one who's honest with you – good or bad – and it's usually pretty bad." I reached forward and pressed my palm flat against his chest mirroring what he was doing to me. "Let go of what's holding you here, let this part of you go... it's going to be what kills you."_

 _"Nothing's going to kill me," Kai smirked._

 _"Your father will, if I don't get you out of here! How can I convince you? I - we've spent the last couple of months together, I'm the only person you've seen in the last two decades."_ _I searched his eyes frantically trying to conjure up memories. "We sleep together – well I mean we don't – we actually do sleep together... but we have gotten close, a couple of times. And_ _nightmares! We've both had them. Um, we fight and we eat dinner together and we've gotten under each other's skin so badly to the point of..." I was hit with a sudden wave of shyness at my own declarations._

 _"To the point of what?" he asked after a full minute of me not speaking._

 _'Here goes everything', I hummed._ _"I want to sleep with you, and I'm fairly certain you want to have sex with me too, and we just started to get into this weird new thing between us and now you're in a dream world. It's ironic, really - all this sexual tension started because of a dream I had that I wouldn't tell you about."_

 _"A dream?"_

 _"Yeah," I smiled "we had sex in a cave; I don't know why it was so difficult to tell you since I just did with ease but I never could and it drove you crazy._

 _"A dream," Kai said again, his eyebrows down and looking away. "And nightmares..." he murmured, before gripping his head again and trying to back away but I_ _grabbed onto his hair pulling him forward._

 _"Let it happen, your subconscious is trying to break through," I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, not needing to stand on my tiptoes with Jo's extra couple inches. "If you keep me locked inside your head when things are finally starting to get better I will never let you hear the end of it. Come back to me..."_

 _I whispered the last sentence against his ear and cheek as I raked my hand up the back of his head grabbing a handful of hair and I could have sworn I felt his grip tighten._

 _"Bonnie?" he choked out after a minute of silence, the word sounding physically stuck in his mouth._ _I pulled his head and my head back at the same time staring into someone whose eyes looked like they were flashing bright lights in front of him. When the daze and the fog cleared from him eyes he looked back at me and they were crystal clear. "Bonnie."_

 _Kai's voice was so filled with relief and happiness it made my throat feel constricted on impact, his gratitude hitting me by surprise. and a smile broke out across my face._ _"You can see me?!"_

 _Laughing through his shock Kai had me pressed against him with his lips on mine before I could take a breath, inhaling his exhales and getting squeezed so tight in his embrace I could see spots behind me eyes._

 _"Dizzy," I wheezed and his embrace instantly loosened but his lips stayed on mine, murmuring his name between kisses.  
_

 _"Mm?"_

 _"Wake up, dreams are nothing compared to the real thing."_

 _I could feel his smile against my mouth and feel his hand trail down my side and over my wrist until he intertwined our fingers and gave a toe-curling gentleness to his kisses as my vision blurred around me and I was encased in darkness; getting hauled out from deep within his subconscious._


	28. Chapter 28

Bonnie listened to Kai coughing and trying to catch his breath as she attempted to open her eyes; her body feeling so overexerted from being drained through each level. She moved her head to the side and groaned, the coldness against her back reminding her she was still leaning up against the wall of the cave. She tried lifting her arms when her eyes wouldn't budge but she felt cemented to the ground as if gravity was winning and keeping her anchored.

"Bonnie?" she heard next to her and felt his hands on one of her shoulder. "Hey, wake up."

He shook her gently when she didn't respond and pulled her off the wall laying her flat on her back.

"Okay, time to rise and shine, come on," he sounded close to her face as he slid his hands on either side of her neck.

Bonnie felt her hand lift off the ground and land on his forearm, her fingers slowly curling. He laughed and lifted her head slightly.

"Now let's see those green eyes," she heard through a smile.

She moaned in disapproval as her body fought against her mind to reboot itself after a long and harrowing mind-trip. She felt her eyebrows press down as she squinted to open one eye, then the other; Kai's brilliant blue eyes being the first thing that clouded her vision.

"Ha!" he exclaimed, lifting her up by the neck into his embrace. Her body ached like she had ran a marathon but she didn't fight against his tight hold as she reached around his ribs to hug him back.

"You wouldn't believe the dreams I had," he laughed into her hair, pulling her back to look into her eyes. The heavy bags and pale complexion was gone and a vibrant smile replaced it.

"I think I would," she croaked, her throat feeling dry and trying to swallow past it. "I think you'd be surprised at just how well I could follow your trip down memory lane."

Kai's eyebrows went down as he looked from one eye to the other then over the rest of her to see if there was any physical damage. He tried pulling his hands apart and cocked an eyebrow.

"First question; why am I wearing these ancient handcuffs? I get being kinky but these things could hurt somebody."

She grinned and reached into her pocket, pulling out a key that looked nothing like your everyday police matching set of handcuffs and keys and set him free.

"I think… I saw you," he murmured as he rubbed his wrists "towards the end, briefly, but you weren't supposed to be there. Or, well you weren't there – but then you were."

She stared back at him, knowing she was going to face this conversation after she got him back but didn't have any sort of plan for what she wanted to tell him and what she wanted to keep hidden.

"What happened, how did we get back in the cave?" he asked when she didn't say anything.

"What do you remember last?"

He looked down as his eyes darted back and forth trying to wrack his brain for his last moment.

"I- everything got really spotty and confusing towards the end, I kept going in and out of hallucinations. I remember waking up with the symbol on my wrist," he glanced at the wrist that wasn't holding her neck and raised his eyebrows at the decent sized burn mark going straight through it.

"Ouch, your handiwork I suppose," he murmured through his smirk, looking it over briefly before his eyes went back to her. "I went to the store then came home and kept seeing my dad. Then-"he cut himself off as his last moment replayed.

"You told me to run," she finished for him. "And I did, right the hell out of there."

"Did I catch you?" he asked without his cocky undertone.

"You always catch me," she mumbled as she pulled herself up using his arm and almost lost her balance once she was finally upright.

"Woah," he said wrapping his arms around her hips. "What's going on, why aren't you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine, just tired and achy I'm sure it'll pass."

"But why do you feel like that? I feel okay – I feel better than okay," his eyes squinted as he looked her face over. "What'd you do, Bon?"

She sighed and tried to look away but couldn't, his stare feeling like an invisible force-field that was pulling her in and hitting her with a wave of nerves.

"Why can I recall seeing you in my dream?"

"Can't get me out of your head?" she smiled, earning a smile back in return.

"That's true, but this is not a part of mind you usually pop up in. What happened after I caught you?"

"You thought–"she let out a breath "you thought I was leaving without you and I didn't know how to stop you so I had to use magic and I…"

"You what?"

"I think I'm what pushed you over the edge and gave your dad full control; he said you couldn't break through my magic and his magic together and that I was making you weaker-"

"Hey," he cut her off placing his hand back around her neck to lift her head up to his. "He lies, whatever he says the hidden meaning is usually the opposite. Whatever you had to do to protect yourself from him – from me – I don't blame you. I'm actually a little surprised you didn't just kill me on the spot."

She rolled her eyes at his cheeky grin, her stomach tightening at how wrong he was at guessing her solution that she's done in the past with ease.

"Guess I was feeling nice that day."

His smile rose slightly then dropped. " _That day?_ It wasn't today? When did this happen?"

"Yesterday," she answered quickly "last night technically, not long, just long enough for your father to get on my nerves."

"Oh it only takes a few minutes for that," he chuckled "how did he control me for that long, and what was he planning? And why are we in the cave?" he asked again.

"You're giving me whiplash," she uttered, swaying slightly in his hold for added effect.

Bonnie would be lying if she said she wasn't feeling at her best, but her thought process of not wanting to answer these questions felt much stronger. The truth of the matter was she would have to tell him certain things – like the fact that she could have gone home instead of risking it to save him – and that wasn't a conversation she felt like getting into anytime soon.

"I just want to know what happened," he answered back in a calm voice, almost soothing underneath the circumstances.

"It's a long story."

"We've got time," he chirped and she groaned.

"Not now, too tired," and as if on cue her eyelids started getting heavy.

Kai's other hand lifted from her hip to the other side of her neck, leaving her in a vise grip angled up towards his face.

"Don't lie to me, are you alright – is something happening to you?"

"I'm fine," she couldn't help smiling at his concern, both unguarded and unexpected "really Kai, just feeling drained."

 _Of my magic,_ she finished internally.

He looked at her a moment longer before nodding and letting go.

"Okay, let's get you back to the house for a nap so you can tell me all about it."

He turned towards the opening and glanced back behind him towards the circle of light before turning for a second look and walking over to the backpacks next to it.

"And what are these doing here?" he asked as he lifted both bags in the air. "Were we escaping?"

Avoiding the conversation altogether she headed for the exit and started the long trek back through the woods. Kai was by her side a moment later digging through both bags and asking questions about every item she was carrying.

"I mean the gangs all here; ascendant, knife, Bennett witch, your notebook… rope, and a little metal rod? Okay, what's up with the salt?"

"That salt really came in handy," she smiled, replaying Joshua pushing up against it with all his strength to no avail; brought to a standstill by a simple chemical compound.

Kai continued to ask questions with Bonnies vague _no answer-_ responses until she dragged her feet through the front door. She didn't even have the energy to make it to the stairs as she headed for the couch straight ahead, not stopping until she face planted into the cushion.

"You're gonna sleep here?" he asked skeptically.

"Mm."

"Do you want to go upstairs?"

"Uh uh," she mumbled pulling her legs up in the feeble position. She felt the warmth of the blanket surround her and instantly drifted off as she was vaguely aware of Kai sitting down near her feet.

 _-x—x—x-_

Bonnie woke up to the smell of steaming food coming from in front of her. Her stomach growled with a forceful hunger she wasn't even aware of as she opened her eyes.

"Bacon," she mumbled reaching blindly in front of her until she hit the plate and heard the crunch under her finger. She pulled her hand back with a piece and moaned in delight at the delicious taste.

"That's hilarious," he laughed "I'm pretty sure you just started eating while you were still sleeping."

She snorted through her still semi-asleep daze and stretched to wake up her body across the couch and his lap. He rested his hand on her shin and held on when she tried to pull back.

"My food," she urged, trying again to pull her legs off. Kai reached over her legs to the plate and handed it to her.

She looked at the plate in his hand to the positions they were sitting in and cocked her head to the side.

"This is a strange way to eat breakfast…"

"Like breakfast in bed, only… not," he answered back and wrapped his hand back around her ankle.

She thought about pulling her legs off again but knew he had a grip on her so she took the plate from his hand and rested it against her knees, picking up half a piece of toast.

"I want to know what happened," he stated before she could swallow her bite.

"I'm eating," she gestured over her plate for added effect.

"I need to know everything."

"Kai-"

" _Everything._ What happened Bonnie?"

She sighed and took another bite of her toast wishing she stayed asleep longer. She played through flashes of conversations with Kai's father and felt the emotions flooding back with them.

"I don't know where to begin-"

"The beginning," he threw out before she could finish her sentence, earning himself a blank stare.

"Can't you just be happy with the fact that you're back safe and sound? No need to deal with the details when the outcome came out the way we wanted, right?"

"Wrong," he answered back automatically "not when it has to do with my father and being controlled. Can't you just – I don't know – hit me a dose of magic to make me remember?"

"Uh," she thought out loud "no, I don't think that would be too helpful."

She looked at his confused stare and felt her guard lowering.

"I uh, I don't-"she felt her legs tense up against his and know he felt it too. Her heart felt like it was in her throat over the anxiety of what's inevitably to come in this conversation. "I don't have any magic."

" _What?_ " he asked sharply, gripping her ankle tightly and staring back at her. "Why can't I feel your magic?"

She pursed her lips as she glanced down at the plate and went for another piece of bacon. He turned his body and somehow managed to pull her closer so her butt was resting against his thigh.

"He took it," she sighed "he left me with a little and I used it all up so – we're kind of screwed."

"Nothing you're saying is making any sense to me when I don't have the rest of the information – like why he took it, why he left some, how you managed to use it-" he sighed and lifted his hand to drop it back down. "I feel like I'm in AP calculus and you're giving me one variable at a time to the equation, I can't learn things that way; talk to me."

Bonnie was well aware if someone was giving her vague half-assed answers to something she needed to know she would be livid but Kai was being surprisingly calm with her; so much that it made her slightly uneasy. She couldn't put her finger on it but there seemed to be a slight shift in the air between them since they woke up and she wasn't sure what it was or if she was the only one that noticed.

She looked down at her plate and pushed the eggs around, her skin feeling prickly as she avoided his intense stare. Bonnie was well aware her magic was gone so she couldn't understand why her body felt like it was vibrating underneath her skin. She took a deep breath to speak and felt it catch in her throat; her apprehension at an all-time high.

"He was going to kill you," she finally let out "and he needed the power from the eclipse to be able to. He took my magic and put it in Miss Cuddles so I wouldn't try anything, but I did anyway, and I… stopped him. And I got you back, and it all worked out."

She glanced up at him quickly and faked a smile but could read by his expression he wasn't buying it.

"You really think I'm going to take that as an acceptable answer?"

"Well what," she huffed "that _is_ what happened-"

"How did you get me back – where was I? _Why_ would you get me back?" he asked skeptically

"Kai-"

"And I thought he left you with a little magic, why would he do that? And why was the ascendant there if he was just trying to kill me?"

" _Kai!"_

"Oh feel free to jump in with answers to any of my questions because I have a lot more," he said without missing a beat. "Like my next one; why are you avoiding them all?"

"I'm not-"she said defensively "you're just… going too fast. I can't think straight."

Bonnie tried to pull her lower half of her body off of him but he had an easier advantage over her. She gritted her teeth and reached over to put her plate on a different coffee table from another room she hadn't noticed was there.

"Then pick any one and answer it."

Bonnie couldn't see straight; flashes of what happened with Kai's father while he possessed him blending into every memory of his she saw and getting hit with a cascade of emotions that came along with the both of them. Half of the questions she didn't want to answer because she couldn't explain why she did them herself, let alone try to get the words out to him. Bonnie tried to untangle her legs once again and he let out an annoyed sigh, looking up to see his jaw clenched.

"Why are you so nervous?"

" _What?_ I'm not," she shot back.

"You are," he stated "you're avoiding looking at me and the conversation altogether and keep trying to get away; I'm not going to let you by the way cause I know you're going to try and leave. So why are you nervous?"

Bonnie tried to hold his gaze but felt like the room was losing in around them and managing to pull her even closer. She let out a breath and realized – she was nervous. Her heartbeat was racing and her body felt restless like she needed to pace around the room, or flee the scene like he stated but she didn't know why. She's been in this close proximity to him many times before, closer even, but with everything that's happened in the last couple days she felt like she needed to put distance between them.

"How would you know if I was?"

"I've seen you like this before, every time I bring up your dream," he smiled and his eyes flashed with mischief. His voice dropped a level as he spoke softly, "which I'm pretty sure I know; I mean I always knew, but I can distinctly hear your voice telling me."

She felt her cheeks heat under his scrutiny and it took everything in her not to drop her head onto her knees. His cocky smile sent a surge of adrenaline through her.

"Okay, yes – fine. I went into your dreams like I did before because your dad had you trapped in some 7 layers of Hell craziness and I found you in the last one and used my last bit of magic to turn into Jo and convince you I was… me, and it worked and you woke up."

"You saw all of my memories?"

"I-yes?" she answered back confused, surprised that was his first question.

He searched her eyes without saying anything and she caught a flash of – something – pass by. She tilted her head slightly and watched his jaw move from one side to the other, looking like he was going to say something before swallowing it.

' _Call me crazy, but I don't want you digging around my head…'_ pinged from somewhere deep in her mind, bringing her eyes back to his.

"There was no other way," she added "he had too much of a hold on you and I couldn't exorcise him out of you-"

" _Exorcism?_ "

"Well you… I mean technically you were possessed and I found this book on exorcisms – oh" she cut herself off "which by the way that jackass burned all of the Grimoire's and anything related to magic so when I said we're screwed, I mean we are really in trouble. But yes, I tried to exorcise him out of you and it was working and I mean, really working, I just wasn't strong enough. So I thought if I couldn't break you out from the outside maybe I could from within."

"There are more Grimoire's," he said after a moment of silence.

"No, there's not," she sighed "I was searching this house for days-"

"They aren't here."

Bonnie's head perked up and her hands wrapped around his bicep.

"There are more?!"

"Yes," he laughed "haven't you ever seen how millionaires handle their valuables? Never keep everything in one place that's just asking for someone to steal it, or destroy it."

She could feel a rush of motivation as her energy started to sizzle back through her veins igniting her tired mind.

"Where, at your house in Portland?"

He scoffed and shook his head, "No, I try not to go out of my way to go there if I don't have to. It's actually across country from Portland, only a decent drive from here – somewhere around ten hours."

"Where?"

"Why where it all began when witches were getting burned at the stake; Salem!"

"Massachusetts?"

"The one and only," he smiled and drummed against her legs for added effect "so we know what that means… road trip!"

"When, _right now?_ "

"Hell yeah!" he let go of her legs and jumped off the couch "pack your bags cause we are going on an adventure!"


	29. Chapter 29

They hadn't even made it out of the state before the questions started up again. Bonnie gritted the steering wheel and turned up the music as Kai drifted between singing along and interrogating her. She glanced over at him and he looked much more comfortable than her with his boots propped up against the dashboard munching on gummy worms. He was out of his sweatpants and back in jeans sporting a basic white t-shirt under a blue sweatshirt and she could see his chain poking out of his collar. She looked down at her own jean overalls buckled on one side over her red short-sleeve and was almost starting to get used to her 90's attire.

"You know you're making me start to question if I should have left you behind and gone to get the Grimoire's myself."

"Where is the fun is that?" he asked baffled "A long car ride all by yourself, no one to talk to or keep you company; no I think you would be turning around halfway to come back for me."

"Somehow, I think I would manage."

"You know you'd miss me," she heard through his smile as he bit a gummy worm in half. "You weren't with me for one day and you were fighting to get me back."

"I was with your dad," she corrected "there is a big difference, I couldn't handle that anymore."

"Mm," he nodded "especially having to look at this charming face while talking to that prick."

"Yeah, that was definitely the worst part," she said sarcastically and couldn't help laughing.

"What'd you guys talk about?"

"You, mostly; his plan to take you out and how he had been trying to since you first started having nightmares. It was a little creepy to be honest, seeing you talking but your voice was a little different so it was like I was hearing him. And he sounds so calm and composed, I mean-"she glanced back over at him for added effect " _what a difference."_

"Yeah he hides it well," he said almost under his breath "he was probably trying to convince you whatever he was saying was true and making you believe you came up with it."

Bonnie looked over at him with her eyebrows down at the very specific hypothetical he threw out as he stayed looking out the windshield.

"Well that's pretty manipulative," she offered.

"Indeed, so don't feel bad for anything you had to do; I'm sure he was asking for it."

She couldn't help but let her mind wander to his different memories, getting stuck on the moments between him and his father. Her eyes closed briefly at the echoes of his angry and pained yells and remarks between the two of them; their trust and any type of bond being nonexistent from as far back as his mind would let her see.

"Was it always like that between you two?" she asked out loud and her eyes widened realizing she heard it.

"Like what?"

She hesitated before continuing "like, you know… really tense and distant and how it is now."

"Well you did catch a good look into my head," he retorted and she almost cringed at the tone in his voice, a part of him still unhappy with her for seeing all of his darkest moments… and the light.

"I did, and I saw a really beautiful girl a couple of times," she smiled with an ease in her voice that seemed to relieve some of his tension.

"Yeah, Gabby, she was a sweet girl."

"She seemed _really_ into you, and for someone who said they never had any girlfriends you seemed pretty into her too."

He shrugged, "I was into her, she was great but it was never going to turn into anything."

"Why not?"

He turned his head leaning against the headrest, "you know why."

"Well not really, I heard what you said to her and I have more information than she did at the time but I still don't understand why you couldn't have left with her and come back for the merge."

"It just wasn't like that between us."

He said it like it was the end of the conversation but she still had so many questions on the topic just itching to break free.

"But-"

"How did I end up the one answering the questions? No, this isn't fun you already know these things you just want more information I on the other hand have no inkling whatsoever."

"So let's play a game then, that question one that you love so much," she suggested. "Honestly it's probably the best way you're going to get any answers out of me."

"I can think of a few other ways," he replied reaching behind her to grab a drink from the backseat "but we can try your way first; I'll even let you start."

"Okay I'll stay on topic for now; did you not leave with her because she really did love you?"

"No," he smirked "Gabby had a crush on me, infatuation really but it wasn't love. I stayed because I knew that, and I knew I felt that same lust for her and that it would pass and I would have to come back anyway. No matter what path I took I was going back for the merge and my way was easier – and smarter, since we saw how the next few years went."

"Easier yes, smarter is debatable since you could have had a few years away from it all, but I can see where you're coming from."

"Okay now my turn. So far I know that my dad possessed me I'm assuming through this little guy right here," he waved his wrist "and that he was going to kill me during the eclipse. He burned the Grimoire's so you couldn't use any spells against him, took _most_ of your magic but left you some, you stopped him… somehow, tried to do an exorcism, went on a little 70's acid trip through my mind and broke me free; did I miss anything?"

 _Yep._ "Nope."

"Mhm, okay, then let's start with where your bear 'roided up on magic is right now?"

"Oh" _shit "_ she's, well that's an odd question to start with because it's just going to ignite follow up's but she's… back in, Mystic Falls." She tried mumbling out the last words but he heard it.

"I'm sorry I think I heard you wrong, I could have sworn you just said your magic is in Mystic Falls while you are still here in 1994."

Her silence was more than enough of an answer for him, tilting his entire upper half to face her while his feet stayed planted on the dashboard.

"How? If he just needed the eclipse he wouldn't have been using the ascendant or the spell to go back, unless, you were leaving."

She made it a point to concentrate on driving and keeping her eyes on the road even though there was no possible way of hitting any other cars.

"That sounds like another question to me so I'm just going to assume we're back to my turn. Now this I've been wondering; how come your memories weren't all bad? Not to say your life was a _Greek tragedy_ but your dad said something about levels of Hell so I kind of thought I'd be seeing a lot of violence."

"7 levels of Hell; it's a spell in our Grimoire but was banned years ago for malicious intent. It originated as a tool used to momentarily paralyze your opponent but the deeper they fell into each level the harder it was for them to pull themselves out of it, until they couldn't. Hell isn't made up of just bad memories; it's the good ones that really keep you trapped because you want to stay and willingly choose to be stuck in that loop. I can see the temptation; I contemplated spending a little extra time in a level or two. Then you get to the last one and you're just-"he made an explosion noise and blasted his hands apart for added effect.

"I uh-" Bonnie started before could ask because she already knew his question. "The opportunity arose for me to go home, your father didn't want me here alone so he gave me enough magic to do the spell to leave… that's how Miss Cuddles got shipped back to present day. And I'll give you a 2-for-1, just because I'm feeling generous. I didn't plan on leaving, but I had to trick him to catch him by surprise and I _sneak attacked_ and shoved him at the last minute and couldn't save the bear in time. It was just wonderful seeing your smug face smiling back at me," she laughed.

Kai was quiet long enough that she looked over to see him staring back at her.

"I'm confused."

"About what?"

"Why didn't you leave?"

"What?" she asked back equally perplexed.

"Why didn't you leave when you had the chance?" he asked again "You were right there, hand literally on the trigger and you would have been home free."

"I – because – wait that was like three questions in a row," she tried to wrack her brain for something quick to ask back and her mind was short-circuiting under pressure.

"I don't care it's a follow up, why would you step out of the circle?"

Bonnie felt her heart rate spike as warmth spread across her skin and let out a breath, gripping the steering wheel. For whatever reason she hadn't expected him to nitpick and dissect every moment that he was unconscious for but she should have known to factor in his usual obsessive compulsive self. If it was possible she felt more anxiety over this discussion than his attempts at prying her sex dream out of her and that sudden awareness had her pulling over into the closest plaza strip of stores.

"I have to go to the bathroom I'll be right back," she said behind her shoulder as she pushed herself out of the car.

She raced into the closest building which seemed to be more of a convenient store and made her way to the back to find a pristine unused bathroom. She stayed in there for longer than necessary, going over multiple scenarios of how to avoid his blatant questions but each answer she thought of he'd have a counterattack to and she felt like she was talking herself in circles.

Opening the door she slowly wandered down an aisle and picked up a few snacks along the way, stopping to grab a few sodas for the both of them before heading out the door and walking into Kai. He stepped back and caught the sodas that fell from her arm, steadying her as he straightened himself as well.

"Ah great minds think alike, I was just going to get more snacks and you grabbed I guess what you'd call the starter pack. Hang on one second," he slipped past her as the door was still open against her hip and scooped up a basket before racing through the store grabbing a variety of drinks, candy, chips, and beef jerky's meeting her back at the door with a full basket in under a minute.

"Wow," Bonnie said looking at the basket "and in record time."

"Wanna rob a bank next?" he smiled as he held the door and motioned for her to go.

"We'll put it on our bucket list," she laughed back putting the few things she grabbed in the basket too "after our road trip up the East Coast."

She turned around to take a few steps backwards and tossed the keys at his chest.

"I've been driving for a couple hours let's switch," she headed for the passenger door and opened it a fraction before he pushed it closed with the basket.

"Hey-"she turned into his body an inch away from hers with his other hand holding the frame beside her head.

"You thought I'd let you escape my question that easily?"

"Oh my God _you are relentless!_ " she pushed against his chest but not with enough force to actually move him.

"When it's something I want or need to know, absolutely; aren't you? So just tell me, put us both out of our misery."

"I can't believe you're still hung up on this, you should be grateful if anything," Bonnie could feel herself getting defensive within his close proximity followed by a jolt of adrenaline "because here we are down to Plan Q for how to get out of here and that wouldn't be possible if I left, so-"

She was cut off by the feel of his chest against hers, no distance whatsoever between the two as his face was angled down towards her. His calm smile in contrast to her short fuse was pushing her over the edge.

"What do you want from me, Kai?"

"I want you to tell me why you stayed," his tone was light and honest, an extreme change from how she has heard him through his father and while he was sick.

"Because he was going to kill you!" she let out through a surge of energy. "I mean it was slowly happening right in front of me and I just, I couldn't – listen if anyone's going to be killing you around here it's going to be me and not that jackass so just… deal with it."

She let out a huff and felt her mind and body waking up with rejuvenated energy, looking eye-level to his smile and trailing up to his eyes. Kai looked back into her eyes and glanced at her lips before leaning in slightly and pushing himself away from her off the door frame.

"You know you just proved a theory of mine right."

"And what's that?"

His smile flashed even brighter in the sun as he walked around the hood and opened the driver's door.

"The closer I am to you the more you tell me."

"What?" She followed his movements into the passenger's seat and watched him put the entire basket on the backseat.

"Yeah, it's funny since I don't think you've ever noticed but it's true; pay attention next time you'll see."

"Not likely," she grumbled, making a mental note to pay close attention when he's within her personal bubble and not tell him anything he wants to hear; should be easy enough.

"I still have more questions," he threw out after a couple minutes of silence.

"Color me shocked," she retorted "as do I, but for now I'm going to take a little nap so we can switch off in a few hours and not have to stop anywhere. Wake me in an hour or so or if you start feeling tired."

"I think I'll be fine," he laughed.

She shrugged and tucked her feet in between them as she rested her head and hands against the side of the door.

-x—x—x—

Bonnie woke up to the sound of Kai's deep humming along to the radio and glanced out the windshield to a dark sky. She lifted her head up quickly, looking out the window again before checking the clock on the radio.

"It's already 9? I've really been asleep for almost three hours?"

"I know I was thinking the same thing, I don't know how you're going to get to sleep tonight when you're power napping all through the day."

She rubbed her eyes and sat up straight, leaning behind her to grab a drink and chips from the backseat.

"How much longer?"

"About two hours."

She groaned, "This is taking forever."

"Says the girl who just slept a portion of it away," he chuckled and looked over at her. "Do you want to drive, might pass the time quicker."

"Sure," she shrugged.

He drove for a few minutes longer until he hit a red light, putting it in park and stepping out of the car.

"Just so you know this kind of stuff isn't acceptable in present day. Road rage is a terrible thing and people will love to go after the guy that parks his car and jumps out in the middle of an intersection during a red light."

"Oh I'd like to see them try; I'll just jump back in the driver's seat and drag race with them down the main road."

"You would get arrested so many times within the first day," she chuckled and put the car back in drive. "I am not bailing your ass out."

"But you're my only friend – the only person I know really so who else would be my one phone call?

"Damon will be around," she offered.

"Oh yeah, I'll be sure to call him right after," he said with his usual lace of sarcasm.

They talked aimlessly and listened to music for the next hour and half and due to her excessive speeding and breaking of many laws she cut an hour off their overall time and made it in 9 ½ hours. She glanced at the clock reading 11:15 as she passed the "Entering Salem, Massachusetts" sign.

"So where should we go; house, hotel, little 1600s cottage?" he suggested.

"Whatever I find first," she remarked as she drove down a cobblestone road into a small town that even at night she could tell was from another era. She drove for another five minutes and was heading up a hill before slamming on the breaks.

" _Jeez,_ " he let out as he jerked forward and reached out for the dash.

"Do you see that house?" Bonnie pointed as her face lit up.

"Yeah?"

"That's the _Hocus Pocus_ house!"

"The what?"

"The… wow, you're so old – _Hocus Pocus!_ One of the greatest kid's movies of the 90's; my favorite movie for over a decade, and it was before I knew I was a witch too. Oh we are definitely staying here."

Bonnie threw the car into park and turned it off before jumping out and racing over to the front. The Victorian cottage looked even more massive in person with its large mansard roofs surrounded by windows and a small lighthouse window at the top. She practically skipped up the steps and walked through the unlocked door into the pristine house that was an exact replica of the movie, heading straight for the best spot in the house; Max's bedroom.

The interior design was different but the room was still the same, complete with a bed in the corner, a TV and her favorite part; the stairs that lead up to the landing where you can see out the lighthouse windows at 360 degrees. Bonnie climbed the steps and scooted herself as close to the window as she could get, peering out at the dark eerie night and watched the fog rolling in.

"Nice digs," she heard down below as he dropped their bags on the floor at the foot of the bed. "I myself probably would have chosen one of the enormous mansions they have lying around too but this is nice – quaint."

"This is awesome," she shot back "look at my little window area, it's perfect. Besides we live in the Salvatore mansion I'm sick of big places with tons of rooms that are never used.

"True," he shrugged and lay back sideways on the bed so his legs hung off. "So according to my running tally I've been here for 6,770 supernaturally repeating days, so in the real world tomorrow's my favorite day of the year."

"And what day's that?"

"Thanksgiving," he smiled and lifted his head slightly from his lying position. "I was thinking tomorrow we spout a little witchy-woo, eat a feast; all in all a pretty good day."

"If you're cooking I am definitely eating," she smiled back and heard a rumble in his chest.

"Of course I'm the one cooking, Miss _burns her toast every time._ I don't even want to think of the damage you could do with a turkey, there's no fire department to save us."

"Hilarious," she said in a flat voice, looking back out one of the windows, her thoughts going back to what's been in the back of her mind all day. "So what do you think your dad's doing right now?"

"Probably stewing over the fact that he was bested by a teenage girl," he laughed.

She looked back at him with a glare and he cracked up even more.

"Not offense to you _Almighty Bennett Witch_ but that's gotta hurt the coven leader's pride, just a bit – he doesn't get tricked easily."

"He underestimated me," she shrugged.

"I get the feeling that's a reoccurring theme with you."

Bonnie swayed her head from side to side in confirmation but he was lying back with his eyes closed.

"Once or twice."

"Well, I never have, if that helps. No way I'd bet against the girl who reignited her magic when she was only kind of irritated – I'd love to see the damage you could do on someone once you put your mind to it."

Bonnie replayed through countless moments over the years from temporarily dying to trick Klaus in Alaric's body, the wrath she brought upon him the night Elijah was supposed to rip his heart out, the overpowering force that hit her when she dipped into her dark magic to bring Kol to his knees; and these were all against Original vampires. The things she has done to vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural beings – including herself - pales in comparison.

"Yeah I have a flare for the dramatics sometimes, what's a witch to do?"

" _Hmm_ I know exactly what you mean," he mumbled, his breathing getting heavier as he tried to stay awake.

She stood up and trotted down the stairs, jumping off the last step and walking over to the bed.

"You should get some sleep, I'm going to make something to eat and I'll be back after."

She took a step back but his reflexes were faster, pulling her down by one of the overall pockets and all of her weight came tumbling onto him. She tried to lift herself up quickly to get off the bed but ended up straddling him to balance herself.

"Well," he smirked "This wasn't quite what I had in mind but this works too."

"Ugh, shut up," she grumbled swinging her leg back over him and kneeling near his hip. He opened his eyes a fraction and looked down the bed under his eyelids, his palm falling face up in front of her.

"I'm not tired."

"I never would have guessed, just come here." His voice was dangerously low and groggy from exhaustion and pulled her in until she saw lying across his right arm on her side staring at the side of Kai's profile.

He pushed himself over to his side pressing into her before leaning so half of his back was against the wall and pulled her in using the arm that's underneath her. She watched him as he kept his eyes closed the entire time and rested his forehead against hers.

"You're still wearing all of your clothes," she observed.

Kai cocked an eyebrow and smirked, not even needing his piercing blue eyes to get his mischievous look across.

"Not like that," she smacked his arm lightly. "I mean you are legitimately still wearing everything – down to your boots."

"Mm."

Bonnie tried lifting her head to see if she could kick them off but his other hand trailed up her side and around her back keeping her stuck in the same position. She shrugged and kicked off her own shoes before scooting closer and trailing her nails across his ribs under his sweatshirt and around his back. Kai jumped slightly from the touch and breathed deeply; his subconscious rapidly taking over. Among the long list there was another question that had replaying on a loop throughout the day and driving her crazy, this seeming like the most opportune moment to ask.

"Are you mad at me?"

"Hm?" he murmured.

"Are you mad I went back into your head?"

"No, I'm mad you had to see everything play out like a movie in front of you. I'm mad that I seem to be an open book but I have to pry each piece of information out of you." He pulled her in tighter and sighed, "I'm mad that you probably see me as a crazy sociopath again like when we first met."

Bonnie scrunched her eyebrows and looked over his relaxed exterior contrasting against his stormy undertone. Bonnie expected Kai to be angry she went into his head and saw everything he had done, and even questioned if there would be some type of resentment or trust issue to talk about but she didn't foresee this. She went through a few of their more serious and substantial conversations and had to give him the benefit of the doubt that he answered everything she threw at him – painful or not – while her guard caused her to give him half-answers or avoid the topic altogether.

 _How long have I been doing that?_

She continued to brush her fingers against the cotton t-shirt and the soothing gesture had his body relaxing into her touch. His head slouched forward and his lips were a breath away from hers, her urges fighting against her logic to close the distance. This wasn't the first time that Bonnie had felt the inexplicable sexual pull towards him but Kai had always been the one to initiate it; at the very least be conscious for it.

"You aren't at all what I thought you were," she whispered and brushed her lips against his, his steady breathing and no witty comeback a clear indication that he was already asleep.


	30. Chapter 30

Bonnie woke up the same way she had fallen asleep; the entire front of her body plastered against Kai's. She felt his hands wrapped tightly around her back and went to move her hand that was touching skin. She opened her eyes and followed her arm to her hand resting against his cheek, a momentary panic to pull it away but she left it there; moving her fingertips lightly and smiling when he instinctively turned into her touch. She had a brief internal deliberation wondering how many girls he had woken up to like this – how many different ways Gabby had woken him up – and how he reacted with all of them. Did he really not believe anyone could love him or was that a defense tactic? Is _he_ able to love… or be in love?

"You're staring," he said groggily and she blinked a few times out of her daydream to see his eyes were still closed.

"How would you know?"

" _Mm I can feel it_ , just like you can feel it when I'm watching you." His hand lifted off her back and his fingertip trailed up her spine to the base of her neck "like the hairs on the back of your neck standing up."

She breathed in through the goosebumps that were breaking out across her skin and opened her mouth to speak when his eyelids fluttered open and his clear blue eyes stared back at her. Bonnie didn't know how it was possible to be silenced by someone's gaze alone since it had never happened before but Kai managed to do it more times than she'd outwardly admit.

She lifted her hand off his face and he trailed his arm around her back up her side until his palm rested against her knuckles and interlocked their fingers, bringing both around her back. She wiggled around in her semi-trapped position and couldn't break free of his hold or his gaze.

"What?" she puffed after another attempt and looked back into his serene composure.

He made it apparent to stare into her eyes before dropping to her lips and she could see his Adam's apple moving.

"What are you doing?" she tried again.

"Testing out another theory," he let out at a base tone level, still looking at her lips as he slowly closed the gap between their faces.

Bonnie breathed in deep; unable to exhale the closer he got until his eyes flashed up to hers and a jolt of nerves passed through her leaving her high-strung and skittish. She gasped out a breath and used her entire body to propel backwards throwing herself off the bed before she could catch herself. She groaned and his soft chuckle turned into a full on laughing fit as he rolled to the side of the bed and poked his head over.

"Graceful, just like a little baby giraffe," he cooed and rolled onto his back.

"So how are your theories treating you?" she asked gruffly as she pulled herself up using the bed post.

"Oh very promising; I might even let you in on it if you don't figure it out yourself." He tilted his head and looked up at her whispering, " _I don't think you will_."

Kai knew just the right way to push her buttons and he did at every opportunity. Bonnie was convinced he went out of his way to find ways to get arise out of her for sheer amusement.

"How would I be able to if I don't have any of the variables?"

"Well, it's about you – so that's a pretty big one." He swung his legs over the side and ended directly in front of her. "Do some soul searching, dig deep, maybe you'll surprise us both."

He hopped off the bed and walked around her going down the stairs and heading to the place he always ended up no matter what house he was in. She followed him down and walked through the adjoining rooms until she landed in the kitchen. Kai opened every cabinet before looking in the fridge and freezer and turning back to her letting out a pathetic groan.

"So hungry," he moaned and leaned his body over the counter for added effect.

"Nothing good here?"

He groaned into the counter.

"Wow, you're whiny when you're hungry," she pushed his shoulder "come on we can grab something on the way, where are we going anyway?"

"A place near _Gallow's Hill,_ the supposed location where the witches were hanged and everyone's believed it to take place there for over – what – 300 years? But it isn't." he laughed and lifted himself up "those guys had one job; remember where you killed the witches."

"How do you know it isn't the right spot then?"

"Because I'm smarter than the average 1690's witch hunter, it's actually a hill about a half mile away that you would never guess is the spot; right behind someone's house."

"And why are we going to this hill? What about the Grimoire's?"

"Relax, they're there, and the rest is a surprise!" He pushed off the counter and headed back up the stairs.

Bonnie grabbed her keys from her pocket and made her way to the car leaving Kai to fend for the bags that neither of them touched, which she was definitely going to use when they found their next destination. He came down a moment later and they were on the road.

The town looked exactly how she expected it to be; trapped in another era and gorgeous from the cobblestone paths to small stores along the main road and the same mansard roofed buildings that gave it an old vintage Victorian look. The car felt so big and gaudy and out of character compared to the rest of the scenery and she felt the urge to be outside taking in the beautiful day then speeding around in Damon's Camaro.

"Food," he pressed his hand against his window as a Shaw's appeared on his side and she rolled her eyes, turning into the parking lot.

Bonnie had to admit shopping in the prison world for anything and everything was undoubtedly better than shopping in the real world. First and foremost; everything is free, you just can't beat that. Then there are no lines, no hassle looking for things; everything was basically yours for the taking and that felt so good. Not to mention Kai wasn't terrible company to have during errands -especially food shopping where he can race down the aisles on carts, eating half of the products while he throws things into the one Bonnie's pushing. Today's trip was no different other than the fact her cart was loaded with everything you can think of for Thanksgiving; stuffing, regular potatoes and sweet potatoes, cranberry, gravy, an array of vegetables such as butternut squash, yellow turnips, carrots, and celery, not to mention the pies and desserts, and of course the turkey.

"I want to get a nice 20 pounder but that will take all day to cook so we'll minimize the turkey and amplify everything else," he dropped the turkey on top and she shook her head.

"So much food."

"I know, I love it," he turned around and walked to the register, carelessly passing it as he went for the bags and after the second cart was full of bagged items they headed for the door, Kai stopping when he glanced to the left. "I think fate brought us to this supermarket."

Bonnie's gaze followed his to the small liquor store and snorted.

" _Now_ _it's Thanksgiving._ "

"You read my mind, Bonster," he laughed and took off in that direction as she headed for the car and stuffed the groceries in the trunk and back. She was more than halfway done when he came back with two bottles of wine and a handle of scotch.

"I wasn't sure which wine you'd want, or if you'd want a big kid drink," he lifted the scotch and shook it.

He helped her with the rest of the groceries and they were back on the road for another ten minutes before he was telling her to stop again.

"It's right at the top of this windy hill on your side; the house will be right behind it."

Bonnie got to the top of the hill and her eyebrows dropped in confusion looking at something that she wouldn't even consider a hill, with a large house through the thin layer of trees.

" _This_ is the hill you wanted to go to?"

"I know, it really is nothing special, no wonder the Salem folk couldn't remember where they were five minutes after they left."

She drove around the side of the house to the front and smirked at the _rich Victorian mansion_ vibe that wafted off of it.

"I'm starting to think you chose this place just for the house."

"It definitely helped," he remarked as he stepped out and started bringing in groceries.

A solid fifteen minutes later all of the food was in the kitchen and Kai was already breaking out the pots and pans. The overall look was a modernized version of a vintage mansion; the interior giving off a sleek but homey feel.

"Grimoire's are in the library down the hall," he said with his face down in a cabinet "they're up on the top shelf all the way to the right."

Bonnie was down the hall and in the library before he finished his sentence, pushing the latter all the way to the corner of the wall and rapidly climbing the stairs until she was at the very top. Her fingers trailed along the spine and she almost fell backwards from her sudden excited jump over finding more Grimoire's when she thought they had all been destroyed. She picked up the three that were together and tried to balance them as she cautiously made her way back down the steps. The large thud against the kitchen counter spun Kai back around to face her.

"Well that was quick."

She read through the family names on the front page of each; Putnam, Bishop, and her mouth opened in surprise at the last one.

"You've had a Bennett Grimoire here the entire time and never told me?"

He shrugged, "I honestly forgot these were here until you said all of them were burned and then I didn't want to ruin the surprise of you finding your original ancestors Grimoire of when they settled here in Salem. The OG Bennett witch was pretty badass; they were sniffing around her trying their usual ' _burn the witch'_ spiel but they couldn't find anything on her, she was supposed to be the 20th witch hanged."

Bonnie stared at him the entire time, absorbed in every piece of information he was telling her. She was upset with herself and her family for never telling her about her ancestors and how they originally began back in the 1600's - and that their bloodline almost _ceased to exist_ back in that time as well.

Kai reached into the cabinet behind him for two glasses and placed them in front of her, lining up the bottles one by one.

"Pick your poison."

She tilted her head from one bottle to the next, debating if she should have a glass of red or white wine when her eyes landed on the scotch. She cocked an eyebrow, let the thought mull over, and snatched the handle.

"Huh, gotta say I was only half expecting you to pick the wine; glad you proved me right."

Bonnie hummed to herself over him and the sloshing of the liquid in the glass, taking a large gulp and feeling the burn all the way down her throat until warmth spread across her belly.

"Yum, good choice."

She handed him the bottle and he poured himself a glass before throwing it back and pouring another, walking back around the black marble counter. They didn't speak much over the next twenty minutes as Kai prepped the turkey and Bonnie skimmed through pages of her family's Grimoire. Even from as far back as the late 1600's her ancestors were ahead of their time in witchcraft; the pages all detailed writings of Wiccan blessings, chants, incantations, and consecration's. How to create magic objects like talismans and amulets, how to cast certain spells using charms and divination, even how to invoke or summon supernatural entities living or deceased were cataloged and detailed.

"Bon?"

She glanced up and noticed from his waiting face that she had missed a question somewhere.

"Hm?"

"I asked if you want to go out back, see what the surprise is," he rubbed his hands mischievously together that did nothing to appease her simmering anxiety but her curiosity got the best of her and she hopped off the stool.

"Lead the way," she smiled.

His pearly whites shined brightly back at her as he easily lead her through the house and out the back door.

"You've been here a few times before haven't you?"

"I've had a lot of time to kill, might as well put it to use." He jumped over the two steps off the porch and headed for a specific direction in the woods and they were there in less than two minutes. He spun around and raised his arm in a grand gesture to his surroundings with a smug look on his face.

"Wow, a dingy piece of land where our ancestors were killed, you've really outdone yourself."

"All good things come to those who wait," he said gently before snickering "ah, I just couldn't keep a straight face through that one. Good things come to those who seek it out and this is the perfect example for it."

Kai turned and walked a few steps until there was a small drop off of dirt and rocks at a slight angle for about fifteen feet down to the windy road they drove up on. He hopped off the landing and put his hands where his feet had just been and Bonnie sat on the landing beside him with her feet off the edge.

"So as I was telling you, this is where all of the Salem witches were hanged – right here – on this tree branch overhead," he gestured directly over his head and she felt a chill go down her spine as she glanced up.

"Now all of those malicious deaths must have had a lasting impression on the land it happened on, especially if those deaths were through some of the strongest witches of that generation."

She looked back into his eyes and tilted her head slightly, glancing back down at his hands that were leaning against the grass and dirt.

"And I thought to myself – about ten years ago – _Kai, if that many powerful witches all met their violent deaths, there must still be some residual energy left behind._ "

Bonnie had to forcibly keep her jaw shut tight so it didn't drop open in surprise; the thought of a physical location where magic could be stored never crossing her mind. His hands trailed farther down until his palms were pressed flat into the dirt in front of him and his nails dug in.

"If you knew there was magic here for that long and you were obviously here on frequent occasions, why did you never take it?"

"Well, I didn't have a Bennett witch for one, something I hadn't put together for quite some time and I didn't want to keep taking it and waste it before I had a chance to really use it. But I did take it from time to time; just to be sure it was still here and could get the job done."

He closed his eyes and lowered his head, mumbling the chant too deep to hear actual words. She watched him for the next few minutes until she could see a light surrounding his fingers in the dirt and his breathing picking up as he chanted louder. His head lifted to the sky with his eyes still closed and his lips were parted, Bonnie's eyebrows raising at the look of… content, which seemed to be overcoming him. Kai breathed in slowly and dropped his head back down, the bright light disappearing from sight as he slowly opened his eyes. His smile spread into a seductive allure as his left hand trailed up her leg sending an electric charge with it, gasping at the contact and making him smile even wider.

"You have magic."

"How the tables have turned," he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows and laughed "now we can check that off the list of things we need to find to get the hell out of here, including those Grimoire's."

She reached out her hand to help him back over the landing and stepped backwards when he pressed forward.

"Magic feels so amazing," he murmured "I don't know how you go about your days when you're feeling this good; so _alive,_ like I'm rejuvenated with energy. Yeah I could get used to this."

He brushed by her and turned to take a few steps backwards making sure she was following and headed back towards the house and into the kitchen. He made it a point to stretch long and obnoxiously like he had just woken up from the best nap of his life.

"You're going to get annoying really quickly."

Kai laughed through his stretch and dropped his arms.

"I'm just feelin' good Bon, jump on the bandwagon, have a drink – relish in the fact that we are going to be leaving this place; that's cause enough for celebration alone so I don't even need to mention the turkey in the oven."

Bonnie couldn't help smiling through his pep talk and refilled her glass, drinking it quickly and feeling a slight sway from the warmth, a content look spreading across her face.

"There she is," he smiled back walking over to the sink and dumped in the carrots, potatoes, and turnips. "Want to help me cook?"

"I thought you didn't trust my dangerous culinary skills?"

"Don't worry you can handle this; you're going to peel them, rinse them, and bring them right over to this cutting board," he said patting the wooden board next to him "then we'll go from there and see how you do."

"Like I've never cooked a meal before," she grumbled getting off the stool and hearing his snicker as she faced the sink with her back towards him.

She listened to him humming offhandedly, the act to stay quiet physically impossible as he rearranged things on the stove and counters. The carrots were the first ones to be successfully peeled and make it to the cutting board. She heard the sharp snap of the carrot as the knife went through it as a quick pace and then came the splashing of all the cut up pieces hitting the water in the pan. The potatoes were the next one's to go and were a little more time consuming since there were twice as much but overall she had to admit she was enjoying herself.

"You don't have to use the peeler on the turnip its wax so you peel it with your hands."

"It's _wax_?" Bonnie asked skeptically as she picked at the side with her nail and it peeled off with ease "huh, what do you know."

She turned around to find him leaning against the side of the counter holding his glass and watching her – not the food. She felt a warmth flutter around her stomach and wasn't sure if it was just the scotch making her off balance. He leaned off the counter and grabbed the turnips from her and diced them into cubes like he had with the potatoes and placed them in another pan.

"What's next?"

"Hmm," he hummed glancing around the counter and scooped up a box, "can't forget the stuffing."

She walked back around the marble counter and sat in her seat across from him refilling her glass, raising the bottle to ask if he wanted more and being rewarded with a smirk that was full of trouble.

Once half of his glass was full he raised it towards her and she clanked her glass against his, followed by a hoot a holler and a _Happy Thanksgiving!_ that had her doubled over in her seat. She noticed him smiling back at her but it seemed like it was towards her rather than laughing along with her and she could feel her body warming under his stare. Unaware he went back to putting the stuffing in the last pot on the stove and checked all the vegetables in the other.

"Okay I just need to finish up the stuffing and we are all set… to wait… until it finishes cooking. I'm going to take a quick shower but you can first if you want."

 _Shower,_ she thought peacefully and almost melted into her seat.

"I have a feeling you'll be much quicker than I am, you can first but I'm going to see what I packed for clothes."

"Upstairs last door on the right is the bathroom; second to last door is where I dropped our bags."

"Okay thanks."

She swirled around the stool and managed to remember her drink before going on a mini adventure around the first floor trying to find the steps, which turned out to be a spiral staircase and not a huge area you could spot from a mile away like the Salvatore's and made her way to the top. By the time Bonnie made it to the room she could hear the water running in the one next door and headed for their bags.

As far as her usual outfits have gone so far she hasn't worn anything too flashy, or fashionable, or really with any effort put into it whatsoever because she was always in the same house doing the same things, with the same person. This time she wanted to wear something a little nicer; the road trip and beautiful new scenery spiking an interest that she wanted to take advantage of. Since they are stuck in a perpetual spring-centric universe she hasn't been able to wear anything too baggy or warm and she's lost count of the number of short's she's gotten from stores. Bonnie was never much of a skirts and heels type of girl, but she was a sucker for a nice dress especially in the springtime. There was one that she found while Damon was still here but never had a good reason or opportunity to wear it for, until now.

The style was the same as a present day spring dress; the chest of it was formfitting with two small flaps that flipped over the front, regular straps, and transitioned into a light and flowing skirt to just above her knees. It was all white with red polka-dots and an optional solid red belt and overall felt like a sexy dress from the 50's – minus the poodle skirt. Bonnie was still looking down at the dress as she walked out the door and over to the next, the water off being a clear indication Kai was no longer in the shower. She turned the handle and glanced up, doing a double take at Kai staring back at her with his hand holding the towel.

" _Wow,_ I mean you just missed the show – I'm talking like seconds. Did you plan that?" He asked playfully with squinted eyes.

"I-"her eyes trailed down his chest before she could stop herself and took a mental image of all the spots she so frequently felt pressed up against her. "Sorry, I thought you were done with the shower."

"I am done with the shower."

"I mean physically in another room, with clothes."

"Oh," he flashed his half smile "well I am not those things."

"No but you really should be, so," she motioned for the door with a jerk of her head and his smile darkened along with his eyes, watching her as he walked by without saying another word.

She shut the door and let out a breath she hadn't realized she had pent up, shaking herself free from her thoughts and quickly stripped and hopped into the shower. What felt like minutes turned out to be over a half hour, the scalding hot-turned-mildly warm water giving her some sense of a time-frame. Against her every wish she shut off the water and dried herself off, not even slightly thinking about putting on make-up as she slipped on the dress. Bonnie took a step back and smiled at her reflection, the bright fabric making her skin look silky smooth with the contrast and her eyes brightly shining back at her. She wasn't about to put on fancy shoes to walk around the house so she put on a pair of matching red flats.

Bonnie saw Kai before he saw her as he turned to strain the veggies and she took the moment to inspect his outfit; black pants, a black t-shirt with a white outline of a dragon and a denim long sleeve button up worn loosely over it with the sleeves rolled up halfway - still very much 90s but may just be her favorite outfit she's seen him in. He turned back towards her and glanced over before mimicking what she had just done and did a double take; his stare starting at her feet and trailing up as she felt heat everywhere he looked until his eyes flashed with fervency when they locked.

"Well aren't you all dressed up," he whistled "are you trying to turn me on right now? 'Cause it's working."

Bonnie shook her head with a roll of her eyes, crossing the kitchen to the counter.

"Like that'd be so difficult."

"You look great," he chuckled lightly "so great I suddenly feel underdressed."

"No you-"she let split before she could stop herself, "you look nice too."

"Yeah? Well thank you," he beamed and put the pot on the stove, grabbing a plate and placing it in front of her. "Bird's done, veggies are mashed, stuffing is a go, gravy is right here, cranberry is behind me – I think we're good! Dig in."

Bonnie's eyes stayed on him as he was practically salivating over the food, grabbing scoopfuls of everything until there was a heaping pile on his plate. He moaned at just the site and she would have made fun of him if she weren't fighting the urge to do the exact same thing. If the taste of any particular food is anything like the smell than she was convinced she could die happy from a food coma. She filled up her plate and followed him over to the dining room table with a long white candle lit in the center.

"Well that's romantic," she said without a second thought.

Kai put down his plate and raised an eyebrow, lifting up his right hand a few inches as the room illuminated with small candles then pushed his hand away from his carelessly as the curtains closed.

"How about now?"

"Just cue the soft music playing throughout the house," she teased as she sat down across from him.

"We'd have ourselves a scene set for a movie," he joked along and dug into his food with her following right after.

" _So good,_ " she moaned through her piece of turkey as she went for the stuffing, " _how is everything so good?_ "

"Years or practice," he smiled and she had to agree; cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day for almost twenty years will definitely make you a perfectionist on many levels.

They made small talk but didn't chat through most of the meal, both too absorbed by their plate. His loud belch and screeching of the plate pushing forward had her lifting her eyes to him.

"Whew, 'scuse me, but that is good eating. I can't move - or breathe - but I still want more."

"That sounds like a personal problem," she smiled as she popped a carrot in her mouth

"Oh I always want more, and I never seem to be satisfied," he leaned back and stretched his arms out behind the chair "maybe it's a character defect."

"Mm," she said with a wave of her fork "sounds more like a severe case of narcissism, a good dose of reality should balance you out."

Kai looked back at her with a gleam in his eyes.

"Pretty hard to find that in a supernatural prison world."

"Don't worry I'll be sure to keep you in check."

"I would be offended if you didn't," he scooped up his plate and headed back into the kitchen, appearing a minute later with another plateful, a full pie in the other and the handle of scotch tucked under his arm.

"Really?"

"I don't want to get up again – I won't be able to. Now everything I want is in this room."

He set the stuff down and added to both of their glasses before sitting down. Bonnie could feel her movements getting slower from all the food weighing her down, the turkey trying to lull her into a deep serenity and the scotch flowing through her bloodstream causing her to feel a moment of true tranquility. She took a deep breath and couldn't remember the last time she felt this content; definitely not any time in the prison world but she was having trouble pinpointing a moment before she had gotten trapped here.

"So what are you thankful for this fine May 10th Thanksgiving Day?"

Bonnie played through countless different sarcastic, goofy, and serious answers before she landed on one that was undoubtedly true.

"I am thankful you know how to cook a mean turkey dinner," she said with her glass raised and he clanked his against it "and that you can make a delicious meal out of just about anything, without that factor I may have died from starvation by now."

"Well we can't have that," he smiled.

"And what are you thankful for? Wait let me guess," she said with a dramatic gesture of her arms stretched out "finally escaping this Hell-hole."

"Oh absolutely, and having temporary but powerful magic, and I have to throw in being cursed with this dashing young face. But there's actually one non-superficial thing I can say I'm thankful for without it being a lie and I don't think that's ever happened before."

"Oh really, and what's that?"

He took a sip of his drink and tilted the rim of the glass towards her.

"You."

"Me?" she asked perplexed against his composed smile.

"Well yeah, I mean you're the best company I've had in almost twenty years," he said grandly "so that's been a nice change of pace. Then there's the constant back and forth that keeps me on my toes, the attraction, the fire, and that's without mentioning that you are the actual reason why I am still alive – so this Thanksgiving I am thankful for you, Bonnie."

"Is this the scotch talking?" she questioned out loud as she searched his face.

"No," he cocked and eyebrow "is this the scotch listening?"

Bonnie heard his words ringing back in her ears as she saw a subtle change and he dropped his cheeky façade, the unguarded look almost knocking the wind out of her by the sudden intensity and shift in the room. She has had serious conversations with Kai before but they generally revolved around him or his family, even going into parts of her own life but they tended to stay light and casual when it came to discussing anything of merit between the two of them. Whoever thought up that unspoken understanding was beyond her but she suddenly felt desperate to keep it that way; knowing a slight change between them could set off a domino effect.

"Maybe," she shrugged.

As if reading her mind he leaned forward on his forearms against the table, her mirroring his movement by moving farther back into the chair.

"And what are your tipsy thoughts telling you?"

"Nothing I want to hear," she said smoothly replaying back his words and she couldn't tell if it was her or the flickering of the candles that made his eyes appear darker.

"Hm, and suddenly I'm intrigued," he allured after finishing his drink.

"Shocker," she remarked with exaggerated enthusiasm.

"Oh come on, let me into your head a little bit, we've been in mine – and I mean we have actually _been_ in mine – so let's visit a place we don't get to see too often."

Bonnie scrunched her nose as her bottom lip jutted out like she tasted something bitter, her thoughts drifting from discussions they've had to deep internal monologs she's had over him when she was alone. She finished half of what was in the glass and it felt smooth going down as she watched him; the whiskey dulling her senses and not giving off the usual flare of edginess that kept her on edge and him at a safe distance.

"What's the worst that could happen?"

"With you? I can think of many answers to that question – _many._ "

"Afraid of what I might find?"

She shrugged off his taunt with a wave of her empty glass before refilling it and could practically feel his smugness radiating off of him; her constant dominant thought to not let him get one over on her winning out.

"Fine, what do you want to know?"

"Let's start with – when is your birthday?"

Bonnie was slightly taken aback by the innocent and ordinary question he decided to ask and she couldn't help but smile.

"Oh wow, a real doozy to start me off - February 5th, when's yours?"

"April 14th; an Aquarius an Aries – _The Hero and the Visionary_ – I think we can take an educated guess on who has which title."

"The who and what? I've never heard that before."

"Zodiacs; a big thing in the Gemini coven… for obvious reasons. You know, we're actually pretty compatible" he smirked "we're both intelligent and crave excitement but you're more the brains of the operation and I'm the energetic and impulsive brawn. We balance each other out, but since I'm fire and you're air - you're always adding fuel to my fire."

"Oh well isn't that fitting," she laughed and didn't have to look at him to see the deep smirk stuck on his face.

"Right, I don't make this stuff up. We're already prewired to be set in our ways so the real question is; why are we fighting this?"

"Fighting what?"

" _You know what,"_ he said staring blankly back at her.

Kai rolled the glass between his palms waiting patiently for her answer that wouldn't come. She stared into his eyes long enough for her stomach to tighten from nerves and the buzz rushed straight to her head. Glancing around the room she felt the immediate _fight or flight_ instinct.

"No running," he said casually "I'll stay on this side of the table as long as you stay on that side; the moment your butt leaves that seat all bets are off."

Without realizing she found herself in the moment she was trying to steer clear of; where she can feel the physical change between them and has the overwhelming urge to flee the scene or this uncontrolled sexual desire to attack him. Bonnie wracked her brain trying to pinpoint a moment she felt this specific feeling wash over her with any other boyfriends – Jeremy being her most serious – and struggled to place one.

"So," he tried again when he realized she wasn't going to say anything "why are we fighting it? Or I should say why are you fighting it– because really, you're the only one trying to stop the inevitable."

Bonnie scoffed and glanced away but he followed her movements to stay in her line of sight.

"Do you hear yourself? _Stop the inevitable,_ remember how we first met, or when we tried to kill each other, or-"

"Or all the time we've spent in my bed, in the cave, in your dreams…" his features darkened as he straightened his shoulders "you might be able to trick yourself, but you can't fool me."

"You sure are confident in yourself."

"When I know I'm right."

Bonnie tried to rationalize how she has acted towards him over the last couple of months and how drastically their relationship has changed since Damon left. She knew her perception of him was changing the moment she made the decision to sleep in his bed the first night and it continued to transform into something that she still doesn't know what to make of. Each day she discovered new things about him, his family, the way he views a situation in a completely different light than her but they can still see eye to eye – and it has been compelling in an enthralling way.

She couldn't remember the last time she was so captivated by a single person, so much that they seeped into her every thought; good, bad, or unadulterated and overall filled her with one emotion; anxiety. An extreme uneasiness over her old fizzling feelings of fear and resentment clashing against her new raging magnetism and fondness of him, that were unexpectedly outweighing everything else. Bonnie was hit with a sudden awareness that she didn't want to be away from him, no matter what circumstance they've come up against. She's become almost reliant on having Kai by her side that the thought of leaving this prison world without him, especially when he needed her help no longer registered; her brain rewired and kicked into instincts of saving the people she loves.

Bonnie's drink slipped from her hand a few inches and thudded against the able as her unwarranted subconscious thought momentarily stunned her. She caught the rim with her other hand to keep it from spilling and shot out of her chair, Kai following her movement.

"Don't do it," he smiled.

She put her hand up to ward him off as memories started replaying at a slow pace instead of its usual flashes thanks to the assistance of the whiskey. They started out innocent with glances and simple touches between the two and progressed until the warmth in her stomach broke out across her skin.

"I'll catch you," he warned as he looked at her foot hovering to take a step back.

"I just need some air – all the candles – it's too warm."

Bonnie took a step back and he followed her step to the side of the table, her breath catching and tripping over her next one. She gritted her teeth as she caught her balance in the doorframe and looked up to Kai only five feet away.

"Cut it out," she snapped.

"I'm not doing anything; you're the one that's trying to stumble out of the room."

She felt her heartrate picking up as she took into account that she was in a house she knew nothing about while he has had full reign over it for years leaving her at a slight disadvantage. Not to mention the no-magic she possesses while he's practically simmering with electricity but regardless of it all her last internal epiphany had her backing away from him as he slowly followed.

"Little magicless-witch all on her own, in a place she doesn't know, with _me_ stalking her – I don't know, kind of sounds like you're stuck between a rock and a hard place."

"Something like that," she murmured as she walked backwards through the adjoining room between the kitchen and the dining room, knowing if she could get to her home base then she could figure out where to go.

"You're better off just talking to me now; I told you before the closer I am the more you let me in, and I have a feeling you're _really_ gonna let me in if you make me chase you."

"Then don't chase me! I'm going to be right back."

"If you're going to lie to me at least make it convincing. Why are you running?"

"I'm not," she glanced over her shoulder to the kitchen.

"Think of something you didn't want to hear?"

Bonnie's head spun back around to his cheeky expression and wanted to physically force that look off his face. Her logic was telling her to stand her ground and win but her skittish body had her moving backwards on its own volition. She didn't want to dive into her deep dark thoughts and dissect every bit of information and with Kai making his way towards her at a leisurely pace she knew all of those secrets would break to the surface and come spilling out like a volcano; and like any smart civilian she needed to leave the immediate area before it erupted.

"Okay," he said as if reading her mind "I'll give you one minute – starting now."

Bonnie cocked her head to the side in confusion as he ticked his head from side to side counting the seconds.

"One minute until what?"

"Until I catch you."

She raised her eyebrows as he checked his watch.

"Fifty seconds."

She looked at him and stuttered out a protest before seeing her surroundings of the kitchen and noticing the other exit off to her right, the devil and angel on her shoulders screaming in her ears about all the reasons why she should stay and leave until her feet propelled her in the direction of the door and she took off running.


	31. Chapter 31

"Hey!" Bonnie shrieked when she felt Kai's arm wrap around her waist before she could get out of the kitchen. "You said you'd wait!"

" _I lied,_ " he laughed against her ear and pulled her against him before loosening his grip.

Bonnie stumbled into the next room and turned around to him leaning against the doorway. She glanced to her right and noticed the two large white archway doors – one leading back in the direction of the dining room and the other leading down a long hallway passing through different rooms. The wall on her left had open windows showing outside and knew the open space behind her eventually lead to the backdoor. He stayed casually leaning against the frame as her scattered thoughts mixed with the whiskey amplified her every move.

"So what's your plan? Option A. running down that hallway right there, taking a right, going through another room and finding the front door where the car is. Option B. weaving through the rooms behind you to get to the back door; much quicker, but doesn't leave you with many places to go. Or option C. going through that room behind you, taking a left, and finding the staircase to get to a room. It doesn't matter to me; take your pick - no matter which way you choose I'm going to find you."

Kai's face stayed composed as he pushed his shoulder off the frame and crossed his arms.

"You can't escape me, and the best part is deep down we both know you don't want to."

"Hence why I am about to once again run around a house like a crazy person trying to get away from you."

"Remember the reason why that started out the last time?" he took a step towards her and she took three steps back. "You couldn't tell me something – even though it was suffocating you with how badly you wanted to say it out loud – until your instincts took over and your judge-y moral outrage was momentarily put at ease. You couldn't say it until I was surrounding you, overwhelming your senses until you had no other choice but to react with how you truly felt."

Kai took another casual step towards her as Bonnie backed away, hovering between the open archway to the next room and aware of the door in the room after that.

"Is that what you're doing right now?" he asked through squinted eyes as he took in her defensive stance "nervous about how you'll react?"

"Kai, listen – my brain's moving at a mile a minute and the whiskey isn't helping… neither are you, so what do you say we just take a break have a nice Thanksgiving nap and get back to this later?"

"Get back to talking about this after we sleep together?"

" _What?_ " Bonnie's head whipped back around from looking down a hallway.

"You just said after we nap where we're together sleeping," his innocent come-on was diminished by his cheeky smile.

Bonnie rolled her eyes and when she looked back he was walking towards her causing her to lose her balance on the carpet and stumbled back before catching herself and turning for the next room. She made her way to it easily and looked to her immediate left at the opening into the hallway that would eventually lead to the staircase then to the far right hand corner at the back door.

"Decisions, decisions," his deep voice hollered from the next room "but where is outside going to take you, really? Sure it will get you out of the house and eventually bring you around the side to the front but without the keys-"he breathed in sharply through his teeth.

Bonnie's eyes turned into slits and gritted her teeth flattening the front of her dress remembering she changed out of her overalls that had the keys in them. She spun around to see Kai still standing in the middle of the other room, hands in his pockets, head tilted and watching her. A chill ran down her spine as his eyes locked into hers and she could feel the invisible tug towards him once again that was becoming harder to fight. He bit his bottom lip and lifted his head back up, a simmering flame igniting in the back of his eyes as she saw a flash of Kai lifting and pressing her into the wall of the cave and felt his body flushed against hers. She moved her eyes back and forth and tried to shake the memory as it heightened with intensity and she felt her body shuddering under his touch, heard his hoarse sounds echoing throughout her skull.

"Stop it."

"Stop what?" he smiled.

She squinted towards him with a sudden flare of rage that boiled underneath her skin. Her hands fisted at her sides and she wished more than anything else that in this moment she had her magic. Closing her eyes and turning away she was hit with another heatwave as she felt her hand trail down his stomach and into his boxers; his body grinding into hers through his sweatpants and having the overpowering feeling of wanting more, _needing more…_

"Get out of my head!"

"Then stop thinking about me," she heard through a smile and the hair on her arms rose sensing him getting closer.

Without opening her eyes to check she ducked out the door to her right and ran through the next two rooms looking for a way out when she came across the spiral staircase. Biting the inside of her cheek she looked up, then to her left at the entrance to another hallway, and back to her right where Kai would be appearing. Shaking her head she headed up the stairs knowing at least there was the option of a locked door putting a barricade between them, and the keys happened to be in one of the rooms.

Bonnie hit the landing at the top and looked over the railing to find Kai leaning against it on the last step and looking up at her. She inhaled deep and took a brief moment to compose herself; her mind clearing through the haze the more distance she put between the two of them and knew that was the only way out of this.

"Okay – alright – let's talk. Twenty questions, back and forth speed round… whatever."

"Just like that?"

"Mhm."

He went up a step and she gripped the railing to fight from stepping back, his eyebrow lifting with his smile.

"Oh as long as I stay down here, where I can't reach you?"

"Pretty much, yeah," she shrugged "sound good?"

"No, but we'll play your way for now. Since I'm going to have to fight for you answers you can start."

Bonnie blinked, not having put any actual thought into questions to ask him back; her one-track mind so focused on distracting him and keeping them separate. She wracked her brain for anything significant she could discuss and a ping went off in the back of her skull.

"What is your theory?"

He cocked his head to the side as a response.

"You know, _I'm testing out a theory_ " she mocked in a deep voice "you seem to think you somehow know everything about me even though we've only known each other for a few months so I'm curious – what is this extravagant theory about me?"

"We've gotten to know each other _pretty well_ over the last few months, wouldn't you say? From strangers, to acquaintances, to – what would you say we are now? At the very least friends, I find it hard to believe you would let anyone in that you didn't feel a connection to; emotionally, _physically-_ "

"What's your point, Kai?" she interjected.

His smile flashed bright, "I'm just correcting your observation, that's all. And it just so happens to coincide with your question; what is my theory? Well it all started off with a simple hypothesis; you like me – and I mean _you got it bad._ Of course I needed a lot of evidence and proof to support these thoughts so I had to think like a real scientist and balance between observations and investigations to make it a theory. Now we've come to the last step; accepting it as a valid explanation for what has been happening between us and this is the one I need your conscious thought for."

Bonnie held the railing tighter but made no effort to say anything.

"I know you feel something for me. I saw a spark of it when Damon was doing what he does best by getting in the way and I've watched it escalate since then."

"That's a bit extreme."

"You can't tell me you haven't noticed," he smirked with a gleam in his eye "I get under your skin; I make you angry, confused, _nervous –_ you don't want to be around me but you can't stay away. Some days you want to kill me, or run away, while other's you're fighting to protect me."

He went up a few steps slowly as he continued.

"I get close to you… and I can hear you start to breathe faster; your heart racing. I can feel your skin break out in goosebumps under my touch – your body responding to mine in ways you can't control."

He stopped climbing the steps and leaned against the railing staring up at her.

"I know you want me Bon; I can feel it like an electric charge in the air. Whether you wanted to kill me, escape me, or help me – you've always had a natural tendency to be consumed by it until it's your only thought. Since that night in the cave, something has changed between us; I wasn't even fully conscious for the few days following it and even I can see that. Our little flirtation we've had kicked up a notch to something more – _that_ you can't deny – and then everything with my father happened. We're… different – you're different – everything seems different and you keep running away making it really difficult to get to the bottom of. Why are you still running from me?"

"Because I don't want to get to the bottom of it," she let out with brutal honesty, his unguardedness and openness triggering the same within herself. "I don't want to dissect every unwarranted thought and feeling and wonder why they are happening, or have some grand epiphany and make me question every moment that's happened while we've been here. I don't want to listen to the constant back and forth in my head about the sociopath I met with Damon against the guy I've gotten to know and being around you makes it that much harder. I don't want to like you, Kai."

Bonnie expected a cocky remark or gloat at her admitting the fact that some part of her did have feelings for him but he stayed quiet, his features losing its smug-esque quality and a genuine smile replacing it.

"Honesty, doesn't that feel good? Let's keep that going because there's something I need to know and it's the only thing I can't figure out on my own."

"What?" she questioned warily.

"Why did you take that chance of ruining your opportunity out of here?"

She looked him over with her eyebrows drawn, "What do you mean, you know why – because he was going to kill you."

"I know that, but I don't know why that would ultimately stop you from leaving here especially seeing how you may have tried that once or twice yourself."

"Are you messing with me?"

"No," he answered back with sincerity "I genuinely have to know; why risk everything? Going home to your friends and family, losing your magic, having the possibility of my dad taking you out too… just to bring me back?"

"It just… seemed like my only option," she muttered, confused with her own thoughts. "After everything we've gone through here – everything I know that you've had to deal with from him – I couldn't… leave here without you. If you're trapped here in your own world it's one thing but you were trapped in your mind, and he – he was just going to kill you without a second thought."

She shook her head and dropped it, leaning forward against the railing replaying their interactions and how narrow-minded and coldblooded he had been towards his own son that set off a spark within her so white-hot it blinded her; reacting purely on instinct.

"It wasn't happening."

It took Bonnie a moment to lift her head back up to take in his reaction but she was once again surprised when her eyes fell upon his face; his head still lifted towards her but his eyes down and searching, dissecting her answer to try and understand in his own way that seemed to be failing any logical sense.

" _Why risk leaving here?_ " he mumbled to himself before looking up, the worry line between his eyebrows disappearing as he focused in on her and started up the stairs two at a time.

"What are you doing?"

"Bored of that game, you know me and my short attention span."

"But I still have more questions," she exclaimed as he continued his ascent up the stairs.

"Ask away."

"Stop moving!"

Kai snorted and she let out an annoyed sound knowing it was useless and backed away from the steps. She was halfway down the hallway to the room that had her clothes in it when he appeared at the landing.

"Come on we were being so cordial," he smiled as he took each deliberate step towards her.

"I know, and then you had to go switch up the rules and ruin everything; nice one."

"Rules are for chumps," he shrugged "I'd much rather get things done my own way."

"Yes well, your way seems to clash against mine pretty monumentally."

"Not necessarily, I think the outcome's going to play out in the way we both want we just have different ways of getting there; mine is more straightforward."

Bonnie scoffed at his abrasive confidence in the matter and felt her stomach flutter at the underlying meaning behind his words; her well aware if he got her cornered she was in serious danger, and not in the _panicked for your life_ way she'd become accustomed to over the years. Whatever Bonnie was feeling now felt stronger – uncontrollable – and was slowly overpowering her.

"Kai this can't happen."

He stopped walking, turning his head slightly to the side.

"Why not?"

"Because we can't – we're going home to our own separate lives and this won't help anything, it'll only complicate things more."

"Think it'll make it awkward when you introduce me to your friends?"

"You're not taking me seriously," she huffed and his playful eyes sobered.

"I am, you're taking yourself _too seriously._ Get out of your head a little bit; stop thinking about your friends, or what people are going to think and worry about you. What do you want, what are you feeling – do you want me to stop? I will, if that's really what you want I'll go back downstairs right now but you have to say it or else I won't believe you."

"How is this so easy for you?"

"What?"

" _This_ – talking about all of this," she gestured between the two of them "How can you be so casual and offhanded with your answers over a topic that is definitely _not_ casual. Why are your emotions not flying around and causing you to trip over your words or lose your train of thought – something! You're discussing this with me like you're trying to explain a movie that made absolutely no sense when I watched it the first time."

"Well you do seem to be struggling to see what's right in front of you."

"And you seem to be completely disassociated from the topic all together. Why are you doing this, do you want me to admit something just so you can say you're right? Something that you want to hear but don't feel in return? I think I'll pass."

"You really are simpleminded sometimes; what's happening between us is far from one-sided."

Bonnie fought to say a comeback to get this ridiculous game of cat-and-mouse they always end up in to stop but the words got stuck in her throat; a vise grip keeping her paralyzed during her one moment of execution that needed to be delivered. She weighed her unexpected but hefty affection towards him against the things still keeping her at an arms – or hallways – length; his sociopath status first and foremost that is complete with a lack of remorse, guilt, or feelings of any kind making some of his heartfelt discussions and any type of real relationship between the two of them seeming extremely doubtful in her eyes. There's also that impulsive behavior and cold distant nature she's seen episodes of that ended in a massacre of his family that her pesky morals just won't seem to waver against.

She looked into Kai's clear blue eyes and felt a pang in her chest; picturing his girlfriend's shocked and devastated expression as her confusion progressed to bewilderment over the horrendous turn of events. Bonnie could feel Gabby's betrayal towards Kai for making her fall in love with him and not feeling the same – not even _trying to_ and then the resentment that blossomed from the unbearable hatred stemming from falling for him so deeply. Her breath caught at the revelation that she didn't want to fall into the same trap that the others have.

"I don't want to end up like Gabby," she revealed before she could think of a better way to put it.

His eyebrows shot up in surprise at the random remark as Bonnie tried to backtrack.

"Wow that sounded better in my head. I just mean – Kai that girl was in love with you, even if you didn't think she was I saw that memory too and she was heartbroken. And I'm not trying to say I'm going to fall for you like that and worried you'll break my heart but the way you felt towards her… or didn't feel, and that was after a full year – I couldn't-"

"Gabby loved the person that I showed her," he intervened, taking a step towards her. "A happy teenaged kid who was funny, smart, and a loving brother. She didn't know about my father or that I was a _magicless. witch. in a coven._ And it was long before those twins grew up to ruin my life and turn me into who I am now – who you know."

He started walking towards her but she held up her hand, Kai stopping and looking up at the ceiling to take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He dropped his head back down to hers and ran his hand through his hair leaving it in disarray.

"I wasn't exaggerating before when I told you things would end badly because girls had too many expectations and wanted more and would fall for the kid they thought I was. And it was a long time ago," he laughed "I was so young, and dealing with… all of that stuff and was only focused on one thing; poor Gabbs didn't stand a chance."

Kai pressed his luck by taking another step towards her, only two doorways – maybe 10 feet – separating them.

"You know me better than anyone, Bonnie. As well as my own twin – about my past, the things I've done, the way I am – but in some ways even more because you feel something towards me without any familial obligation. I've never… had that before, not even with Gabby who thought she was head over heels for me. It's different with you – everything is."

Bonnie felt a wave of panic blanket over her as her subconscious took note of some of her final walls lowering – more like Kai crashing through them with a wrecking ball – and had to grip the doorknob to physically keep her feet in place. Images of the time they've spent together conjured up and played through like a slideshow so rapidly Bonnie was pretty positive she was going to get vertigo. She could hear his pillow talk from the countless nights she spent in his bed and could feel their natural chemistry progress into a raw desire for one another that has ultimately seeped into her every thought. Witnessing with her own eyes the growing and undeniable connection that managed to sneak up on her and burrow itself deep in her mind, it finally pushed itself to the surface in a force so strong it felt like someone sucker punched her in the stomach.

"Oh shit…" she let slip as she leaned back against the doorframe with her hand still on the doorknob; lost in thought over her new discovery.

Kai was right, she did like him – _really liked him –_ so much that she went and risked her life yet again for someone that she cares about and didn't want to lose. Their infatuation so intense that it blinded her from the darkest parts of his past and highlighted the best; changing the way she viewed him completely. The sociopath that terrified her was replaced by a force that devoured her; taking her over piece by piece and feeding her from within, her body responding to his in a way she never thought possible. Her mind felt like it was at war within itself; her logic trying to make sense of the situation as her instincts fought desperately to get closer to him - insatiable with a need deep within her that she couldn't appease.

Kai's silhouette a few feet in front of her snapped her out of her daydream and she instinctively turned the knob to push herself sideways into the opening, Kai's foot landing in front of the door leaving her unable to close it. She managed to end up in the same room; a large bed with four wooden posts and white sheer curtains draped around it off to her right, another exit in the far right-hand corner and a small fireplace directly in front of her. Bonnie turned back towards Kai and tried to stare him down with a glare as her heartrate spiked to an unhealthy level, blinking a few times to settle her body down.

"Are you scared right now?"

"What?"

"You look shaky, and panicked, and like you're about to die; are you?"

"Terrified."

"Of me?"

"Absolutely."

Kai stopped mid-step a few feet into the room, authentically taken back by her answer and furrowed his eyebrows.

"Really, still? Because I kind of thought – I don't know – I convinced you otherwise. Do you think I'm leaving here without you?"

"No-"

"Or that I'll do something to you when we're back in the real world?"

"That's not it-"

"Then why are you afraid of me Bonnie?"

Her eyebrows rose slightly at his tone, sounding more aggravated than hurt as he shifted to a more tense posture. Kai didn't seem to have any feelings of sadness or guilt over the matter, his confusion and irritation blending into a cocktail that kept his sober eyes honed in on hers.

"I'm not afraid of _you_ jackass, I'm afraid of how I feel _about_ you," Bonnie rushed out before she could stop herself. "I am horrified with myself for being fully aware of what you've done and that not being enough to put an end to this. That this _whatever_ that has been going on between us has escalated to this moment, and the only way for me to stop it is to physically not be near you – preferably in separate rooms. This is stupid, and reckless, and it can't happ – _Kai!"_

Kai walked towards her too quickly and caught her by the waist, leaving an arms-length of distance between them as she felt small shocks coming from his fingertips. His smile was warm and inviting, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he looked over her face.

"I've had people tell me a few different ways how I frighten them, but I must admit this is a first for me."

Bonnie shook her head but couldn't shake the anxiety that flooded her system making her feel like she was being submerged, fighting against the pull of the tide to break free.

"So, first you didn't like me, then you hated me, then you wanted me dead… then you opened up to me, let your guard down¸ _let me in;_ so where do we stand now? I'm pretty sure I know but I would love to get your input on it."

Her hands started to shake by her sides; a physical manifestation from her forcing herself not to give into his touch and reciprocate. She closed her eyes to momentarily block out his face but it only amplified the sizzling she felt through her dress on the back of her hip.

"Pretty sure you have it all figured out on your own without me needing to tell you.

"I know, but I want to hear you say it," he laughed softly.

Her eyes opened into slits as his hand trailed up the side of her dress to her bare shoulder, grazing down her arm lightly and gasping at the electric shock that followed its path; her body in-tune to every little change since there was none of her own magic to balance it out. Bonnie breathed in deep as her body reacted to his, her willpower evaporating from within as each moment passes.

"Why?"

"Because then I'll know it's true."

"Well then I guess that goes both ways, I need to know where you stand too."

"Okay – you first."

Bonnie clenched her teeth together so hard she was pretty sure she heard them grate together, Kai's smirk a giveaway he noticed as well. She scoffed and dropped her head momentarily, her hand lifting to rub against her eyebrow in frustration before slapping it back against her thigh.

"This is ridiculous," she sighed annoyed with herself.

"I'm having fun," he smiled.

"Well I'm glad one of us is."

"Just tell me how you feel Bonnie, it's not that hard – I know you have a wide vocabulary."

" _Not that hard,_ " she scoffed "says the person who has never had any feelings for anyone."

"I _feel things_ " he retorted "people have made me feel happy and annoyed and passionate I just don't get overwhelmed and weighed down by it."

"Oh really, your anger doesn't overwhelm you?"

"Okay, so one emotion can get the best of me," he smiled and continued trailing his fingers up and down her skin, a chill wracking her frame "maybe two."

Bonnie's arm reached out instinctively and wrapped around his bicep to stop him but it only managed to give him more incentive to continue as he stepped forward and closed the distance between them. Kai's arm trailed from her arm back around her shoulder blade and snaked around her lower back as his movements caused her hand to slide up his bicep to his collar bone, grabbing a fist full of cotton. He leaned down into her and she felt his other hand travel up her thigh and drift under the skirt of her dress to her hip, his burning touch causing her to unintentionally push her body into his. He reached behind her to grip her butt as she heard a faint crackling behind her, her mind too focused on what was happening in front of her to take anything else into account. Her other hand trailed up the front of his stomach landing against his neck, his head dropping even farther so that their faces were only a few inches apart.

"This is such a bad idea," she said out loud trying to convince herself more than him "this is wrong."

"It doesn't feel wrong, does it?" He pushed her body into a roll of his hips and her grasp on his shirt tightened feeling him hard against his baggy jeans. "It feels like this is exactly where we're supposed to be. Stop fighting me Bon, give in – there's no rules, no judgements; just us."

Kai's words sparked an insatiable and animalistic need inside her that had been burrowed deep and buried – dormant until it broke free and latched on with full force. She was vaguely aware of her arms wrapping around his neck and pressing herself into him to jump into his embrace, Kai already ahead of her and lifting her off the ground. Their foreheads were pressed together and she heard a deep rumble in his chest as he tore off Bonnie's matching red lace panties, the fire igniting behind her as she heard the fabric tear against her skin. She gasped and pressed herself into him to avoid the whereabouts of the flames as he angled her head towards his, swallowing her anxious sounds as they turned risqué.

Bonnie ripped the long sleeve off with ease and scratched down his chest trying to pull off his t-shirt. Kai laughed through the kiss and walked forward until her back found the wall to the left of the fireplace, using his hips to pin her in place as he leaned back to pull his shirt off. He cupped the side of her neck as he leaned back in and kissed her so deeply that she felt her lips vibrating as her toes curled; hands reaching out blindly for him as she raked her nails down and he thrust hard into her. Bonnie could feel Kai's constant electric shocks everywhere his hands went making her skin feel like it was sizzling on the surface. His hands trailed down her arms and reached for her hands pulling them over her head – a sense of de ja vu coming over her as she replayed him doing the same thing to siphon her magic in her dream.

"I know getting your magic taken from you is always painful on some level – but having it given to you? Feeling that rush of power ignite every neuron in your body until you feel like you're emitting sparks of electricity; you'll never feel so alive, or invincible."

Instead of gripping her wrists he glided his hands up and interlocked them with hers, breathing deep as he squeezed tighter and she felt a jolt through his hands into her own that electrified her entire body as it coursed through her veins. Bonnie let out a noise of gratification as her head fell forward to rest against his, Kai's hands still locked in place as waves of static wracked her body leaving her feeling high-strung and fully charged.

Bonnie had to catch her breath at the realization that Kai hadn't even touched her intimately yet and she was practically panting for him, ready to tear off his jeans with her teeth if she wasn't pinned against the wall. She squeezed his hands back and could feel the new rejuvenated magic swirling around her bloodstream and becoming her own.

"You're giving me magic."

"Mm," he hummed as his lips ghosted across her jaw and made his way to her neck, his tongue gliding along her pulse as she felt it leap and a book went flying across the room. She shot her head in that direction as Kai laughed against her neck and bit down gently in the same spot.

"Did you see that?" she murmured as she tried to keep her eyes open and head away from thudding against the wall.

"This should make things a little more interesting," he puffed against her throat and her nakedness that was hidden beneath the fully clothed dress rubbed against the fabric over his growing hard-on, both of their bodies fighting to get closer to the other.

Kai lifted his head to hers and she was completely seduced by the smoldering look in his eyes, the provocative tone of his voice, the heat of his body, and the mouthwatering scent of his skin. His hands glided down her arms and across her body, pulling her into him to unzip the back of her dress and yanking it over her head leaving her utterly naked under his burning stare. His right hand kneaded and massaged her breast as his head ducked down and encased her other nipple, crying out at the scorching heat and the lash of his tongue. Bonnie's core tightened with every soft suck and her hands greedily caressed his back, stroking and scratching to find the spots that made him growl and moan. He continued his way down her body leaving wet kisses as he went until he kneeled before her, swinging her left leg over his shoulder.

"I'm going to give you what you crave, and I want."

"Kai-"she gasped and held onto the side of the fireplace while her other hand tried to steady her balance in his hair.

He groaned softly and dove for the slick flesh between her legs, his gentleness causing Bonnie's hips to churn restlessly in a silent demand for more. His tongue pushed into her sex and she rose up on to her tiptoes, the pleasure radiating through her body as her head became even more lightheaded. Kai pulled her in closer as he twirled and flicked his tongue lavishly across her swollen tissue until she was writhing against him, her orgasm hitting with her force and gripping his hair tight to keep from falling.

She tried to catch her breath but Kai didn't stop, circling her with the tip of his tongue and lapping at her clit until she quickened again. She tried pushing his head away with her vise-lock grip but he wouldn't budge, farther incentive for him to continue as he pushed two fingers inside her; curving and stroking. She so was sensitive she could feel her body trembling underneath him as he kept up his steady rhythmic suction.

" _I'm gonna fall_ …" she whispered and her head thudded against the wall.

" _I'll catch you_ ," he murmured against her and the low vibrations pushed her over the edge, shouting out hoarsely as his responding groan goaded the climax to roll on and on. Bonnie glanced to her left and noticed the fireplace was momentarily engulfed in flames as it cascaded over the tops and up the wall before simmering back to its original size.

Bonnie's entire body ignited from within as she felt the charge from his fingers trail up her stomach and wrap around her chest, her head dropping back down and eyes opening slightly to Kai's flushed face. He gripped the outside of her thighs before lifting her off the ground and walking over to the bed lying her down on it; crawling over her with a provocative smile as she pushed herself backwards until she reached the pillows. She managed to unbuckle his belt and rip it through all the loops in one swift movement, unzipping his jeans and yanking both those and his boxers down with him.

Kai breathed out blowing the hairs off her face, licking his lips and looking over her face with eyes so dark and dilated they were black – long past his point of control. He scooted in closer and rubbed himself over her sex up to her bellybutton, her stomach tightening painfully at the contact and noticed his jaw tick from clenching. Kai's hand trailed from her ankle up her knee and back down her thigh, gripping the skin and pressing harder into her.

"Are you sure about this? I don't want to wake up with a knife in my chest when you realize what you've been missing out on and pissed that you want more."

Bonnie felt her nose flare as she clenched her jaw, scissoring their legs together and flipping him so she was sitting on top of him. He smiled alluringly as his hands trailed up her thighs but she grabbed them and pushed them over his head so her face was hovering in front of his. She gave him a pointed stare to say _no touching_ and leaned back, lifting herself and guiding him to her entrance as she slowly took him in.

Kai's rough noises and jagged breathing incited something within her, slamming down taking him to the hilt in one movement as the door swung shut making the bed rattle. Bonnie could feel his heart beating rapidly against her palm as she leaned against him, unable to move until she could catch her breath. Her hips started to go on their own volition and Kai leaned up to kiss her chest but she pushed him back down into the mattress, grinding into him harder. She picked up her pace leaning against his chest for leverage as he tried again to lift himself up towards her face. Bonnie pushed him back down aggressively by the neck and rode him like a bull; the noises spilling out of her making him growl through his teeth and wrapped his arm behind her to hurl her onto her back.

Kai's hand trailed up and wrapped loosely around her neck as he thrust into her with vehemence, his breathing coming out harsh a few inches from her face. He leaned back father and pinned both wrists by her head ramming into her, a loud _crack_ coming from each of the bedposts as they struggled to stay intact. He drove into her with such momentum she was being pushed up the bed until her head thudded softly against the wall. Kai yanked her back down sinking deeper and the glass vase on the side table shattered on impact, the small marbles clanking and rolling against the carpet. He leaned in and rested his forearms near her shoulders and head, surrounding her as his long and hard thrusts turned quick and commanding; their bodies in perfect rhythm as everything inside and out tightened around him leaving her breathless.

Kai spilled out a stream of choppy sounds and grunts as he hit the same spot within her at a relentless pace causing spots to appear in her vision. Bonnie felt desperate for him, her nails digging into his hips as she rocked into his ferocious thrusts and screamed out as every sensation magnified under his touch. He shuddered and his hips pumped as he followed right after, one of the bedposts snapping in half in the same moment; the post and corner that was holding that side of the curtain up both crashing down. Bonnie looked over his shoulder gasping at the objects about to fall on him and he lifted his hand up next to her head; the pieces of wood and curtain floating in place a foot away from him. He flicked his wrist and it all went flying into the wall between the other door and fireplace.

"I'm not done yet." He mumbled something in Latin as he lifted his body off of hers and pulled her up with him, spinning her around and leaning over her.

"Spread your legs," he said gruffly against her ear and she felt her pheromones spike at his command, doing so without a second thought.

Kai moved in between her legs and she could feel his shaft pressing hotly against her before the rest of his body leaned into her. Bonnie felt out of breath from exhilaration, the overwhelming feeling of him surrounding her but not being able to see him setting off an animalistic need within her, her body shaking and taking full control over her actions. Kai lined himself up against her and pushed in slowly so she could feel every delectable inch until there was that touch of soreness.

Bonnie's moans turned ravaged as Kai's hold constricted against her hip and shoulder and swiveled his hips around causing her to ultimately lose her mind. His left hand around her hip reached up to cup underneath her breast, pulling her up into his chest as his other hand wrapped around her neck. His grip tightened slightly and his lips grazed her ear, husky noises and sentences spilling out with carnal desire.

"I've wanted you – just like this, for months."

Kai was thrusting in just the right way that had her bouncing off of him at a steady pace and could feel her body clenching so tight she felt like she was being wound up and overstrung. Bonnie had a subconscious thought that Kai had definitely had sex a few times before getting trapped in the prison world because this kid knew how to please a girl. His rigorous pace blended with his expert moves on top of his unyielding commitment had her struck a sudden unwarranted feeling of rage and envy against anyone else that has had Kai this way.

Bonnie rose her hands above her head and ran them through his hair gripping down hard on the roots and arching her back. Kai grunted loudly against her hair and pulled her closer to him by the neck, the constriction causing her to feel a wave of lightheadedness and she gasped at the sensation. Bonnie's sounds broke through his unwavering pace and faltered, moving his hand off her neck across her chest to her collar and resting his head right above. She reached out blindly to grip the sheets and clawed her way through them, the raw need to have Kai envelop her completely being her only conscious thought.

Kai left kisses down shoulder over to her spine, licking the path up to the base of her neck with the tip of his tongue; a violent shutter overcoming her as he plunged into her. Her sensations buzzing with electricity were at high voltage and she could feel it sizzling off of the both of them as she heard objects being thrown around the room. She heard his breathing against her ear causing goosebumps to break out, his hot breath burning her neck before biting down and increasing his grip around her chest. Bonnie closed her eyes as bright flashes spotted her vision and her knees gave out from under her. Kai continued to move slowly against her, lifting his upper body to leave an array of licks, kisses, and love bites all over her upper back as she felt the insatiable need building within her once more, a surprised laugh spilling out of her lips.

"What?" Kai huffed against her shoulder.

Bonnie closed her eyes for a moment to take in the situation she was in and how good she felt, her laughing spilling out again into the pillow. She heard his rough grumble in his throat as he lifted her hips and yanked them back colliding into his own, a grunt leaving her as she felt sparks shoot out of her fingertips. She couldn't help smiling into the pillow over the sense of power she can have over him; the glimpses she's seen play out before her eyes still difficult for her to truly believe.

"I can't believe how good you are at this," she moaned softly that turned loud against the force of his impact.

Kai moved his hands restlessly over her and snaked his arm around her stomach, rolling to the right to lie on his side and pulling her into him so her butt was against his thigh and her shoulders were flat on the bed. Bonnie lifted her left arm to wrap around his shoulder and dragged her nails through his hair, Kai scooping his right hand around the back of her neck as the other readjusted them, fingering her leisurely as she slid onto him. Her leg lifted over his and she circled her hips as his hand trailed up to her neck and locked his fingers around the side of her neck; kissing her with a tenderness that contrasted against his every move that could make her come undone at any moment.

Kai's lips moved down encasing her nipple and her heavy eyes glanced overhead, opening wide and pushing farther back into the mattress gripping his hair tighter.

" _Kai, look"_ she whispered and he followed her gaze to the broken pieces of wood and white curtains floating five feet above them.

He smirked and thrust hard into her once, a picture to her right flying off the wall straight at them and banging off an invisible force field dropping next to the bed.

"Protection shield," he breathed out lowly against her ear.

She looked over the side of the bed, eyes widening and mouth popping open at the mess of broken things littered across the floor.

" _God…"_ she mumbled under her breath.

"I've been called worse."

She let out a snort and gripped his hair pulling his head back as his laughter vibrated through his body and connected into hers through their cores. Bonnie let out a sigh of content and Kai pulled her flush against his chest, the arm still under her neck stretching to hold her hand as the other restlessly gripped her chest and neck. Her arm wrapped around his bicep as he started his deep exploration of her, fingers trailing and rubbing her clit for added effect making her jerk violently in his embrace. Their interlocked hands pressing against her chest to keep her against him as he tirelessly pushed his hips into her. He turned her head by the chin and rested his nose beside hers, their lips a breath away as they inhaled the others pants. His eyes stayed locked on hers and she felt a sharp and vivid pain in her chest over the intimate look; the act itself being cause enough for the closeness but somehow the look Kai was giving her was causing her to force in gasps of air.

Both of their bodies were covered in sweat as they easily glided off of each other, hands roaming and groping everywhere they could touch. Kai lifted her leg over his forearm and rested his hand against her stomach, the different angle causing her blood pressure to spike immensely and started to shake uncontrollably. She felt her orgasm building within her so immensely she was panting at just the thought; her carnal need to lose herself and watch Kai do the same rapidly setting her over the edge.

Kai slowed down his rough pace just as Bonnie reached the top of the precipice and was about to jump, slowly coming back down and letting out a frustrated sound. He chuckled against her skin as he kissed her chest and throat before dropping her leg and brushing his fingers against her cheek and neck, kissing her with small packs as he moved into her unhurriedly. His hand brushed through her hair before cupping the side of her neck and turning her face to his, kissing her lavishly and deepening it with each stroke of his tongue. His movements slowed to a stop and the gentle caressing and coaxing of his kiss had her whimpering into his mouth; the discovery of this new side of Kai leading her to her ultimate surrender.

" _Kai,_ " she warned and his smoky black eyes sliced into hers.

His face pressed into the side of her neck as he held the other side of her head and pounded into her, her movements turning quickly erratic as desperate sounds erupted out of her. Kai's hand trailed down and grazed over her clit, her body jerking and slamming back into his as he pressed against her harder; a piece of the bedroom underneath them snapping as she screamed out moving her hips vigorously against his.

Kai's ragged breathing was laced with low and husky sounds that only added fuel to Bonnie's already raging fire. Her body felt numb from sensation and she couldn't catch her breath as she watched Kai's face of pure unadulterated lust and his eyes filled with desire for her had her locked in place. He let out a pained sound of pleasure and she instinctively leaned for him and pulled his lips into hers; soft and gentle as he had been doing to her causing the same overall effect – Kai losing his rhythm and letting out the most sexual sounds that managed to still reignite a part of her as he held her so close she could feel his heartbeat through her skin.

Both of them stayed silent for a few minutes after and Bonnie was staring up at the floating posts, ticking the seconds until Kai let out his first remark that could range anywhere from witty, to sarcasm, to oh so cocky. She turned her head slightly to the left towards his and noticed he was staring back at her. Her eyes searched his and felt a flurry or nerves feeling the need to say something but being momentarily stunned silent.

Kai leaned forward an inch and rubbed his nose against her cheek, pulling her closer to him and breathing out slowly. Bonnie relaxed into his touch and felt the wave of exhaustion slowly barreling down on her, pulling his arm over stomach and he trailed it up to cup her breast. He put his lips against her neck as his ragged breathing started to slow causing a lull to overcome her. She was already halfway into her dream-state when she heard Kai's voice murmur behind her.

"Best Thanksgiving ever."


	32. Chapter 32

Bonnie could feel her body igniting from within, a simmering undercurrent progressing until she felt the charge flowing through her veins. She felt the pull taking her farther from the dark haze into the light where the echoes of her moans reverberated back into her eardrums. She gasped at the next shockwave awakening her senses and trailed her hand down her body until it collided with Kai's hair. Opening her eyes a crack she glanced down at the top of Kai's head between her legs, his tongue flicking her clit in the same moment causing her to jerk up into him.

" _Kai_ ," she breathed out earning a low grumble in his chest as he tightened his grip against her hips.

Bonnie closed her eyes, still in half a sleep daze and dragged her nails through his hair. She lifted her legs for easier access and the change had him hitting just the right spot, her body shaking in response as a long and sensual orgasm came over her and heard the fire reignite off to her right. She felt Kai's vibrations from chuckling and pulled him up by her grip in his hair as his lips trailed across her body. He stayed on his knees leaning over her as his face hovered close.

"Hi," he said with a lazy smile.

"Ya know I probably could have gotten used to waking up like this, definitely could have grown on me."

"You're right about that, it definitely _would have_ grown on you," he purred pressing his hips into hers and feeling his hardness.

Bonnie licked her lips and trailed her nails gently down the middle of his chest until her fingers grazed over the tip. Kai let out a breath against her face and felt every inch of his body tense on impact of her wrapping her hand around the base and squeezing. He hummed in the back of his throat moving one of his hands to cup her neck keeping him grounded.

Bonnie watched Kai's every facial expression and movement as his permanent cheeky façade faded and a vulnerability looked back at her; taking her by genuine surprise almost as much as the situation she's currently found herself in. Kai leaned in to leave soft kisses against her lips; the more he rubbed himself against her as she stroked him the more intense his kissing became until his expert tongue was caressing hers and grazing the roof of her mouth leaving her breathless. Before overthinking it she guided him down until he was at her entrance and lifted her hips pushing herself into him.

Kai's shoulders shuddered at the sudden contact and clasped the side of her head, pushing into her slowly as the fire roared to life. He didn't give her a moment to adjust before he flipped them and she sank onto him in the same movement. Both let out a strangled sound as he reached for her hips and moved his in small circles underneath her. Bonnie felt a wave of power – not the same but similar to magic – wash over her as she took in Kai's erotic countenance; dark and commanding but at her mercy, drawing her in as she placed her hands above his shoulders on the bed and mimicked his movements.

Kai's hands scratched down the back of her ribs and she felt the electric current shooting straight through her skin – the jolt causing her to pick up her pace and fist the sheets. She felt his hands ghost around her ribs, rubbing and sucking each breast before running them down her arms and grabbing her hands. He laced his fingers between hers and pushed forward, his forearms keeping her balanced and at just the right angle to deepen her descent. She felt her thighs shaking as her body heat rose, a layer of sweat breaking out across her skin as she tried to keep her eyes open through the bliss.

Gripping her hands tighter she felt the same familiar jolt through his hands into hers that flooded her entire system one vibration at a time. Her breath caught in her throat as she struggled to keep her arms locked in place, the steady sizzling between their embrace bringing out a sexual side of herself she had never witnessed before. The sensation felt intoxicating as it coursed through her bloodstream and left her with an acute feeling like she was floating.

Kai let go of her hands and trailed up to cup either side of her neck, getting a firm hold on her before thrusting up. Bonnie groaned and wrapped her fingers around the tops of his forearms, her burning touch radiating into him and hearing his gruff exhalation as his hips turned commanding. Bonnie couldn't catch her breath over his continuous lunges and the lack of oxygen had her head spinning, arms giving out and landing with a thud against his chest. He pulled her closer and kissed her with fervency, his arms wrapping around her back keeping her taut against him as he continued his pace.

Bonnie could feel her core clenching hard down on him and his violent shudder let her know he felt it too. She felt her body beginning to shake uncontrollably and kissed him back with equal compassion; everything heightened and amplified under his rough touch and gentle coaxing of his lips. Kai loosened his grip around her back and grabbed her arms, pulling them around her back and locking her in place, both in perfect synchronization as he pushed harder into her and hit a spot so deep she came undone on the spot; her noises strangled in her throat as she heard something behind her come crashing down. Kai let out harsh gusts of air and gripped her tighter; pumping into her before groaning in a low seductive undertone that spiked a need within her that only his noises seemed to reach.

A part of the bedframe under their feet snapped causing the bed to shift slightly to the side. The movement pushed him deeper inside and she jerked at the contact. Kai let go of her arms and trailed up to the back of her neck, soft kisses against her lips and cheeks soothing her trembling form. She breathed out slowly and nuzzled into the side of his face as his hands glided up and down her back.

"I am so mad at you," she heard him murmur against her neck.

She lifted her head to stare at his smile with a look of bewilderment.

"Excuse me?"

"All these months you've been holding out on me, and it could have been like this. And now you give me a taste as we're getting ready to leave?" he shook his head and leaned forward to bite the side of her neck. "So selfish."

Bonnie couldn't help but snort into a heap of laughter, the vibrations reverberating off of where they were still intimately connected causing Kai to tighten his grip around her back and pull her into him.

"Ooh no no," she murmured against his face as she rolled to the side out of his embrace.

He let out a small whine and turned on his side to face her.

"What, no round two?"

"That's an interesting counting system you have there, I'm pretty sure that was round two… maybe three."

"Let's make it an even four," he smiled.

Bonnie rolled her eyes shaking her head, pushing his chest away and feeling his laughter against her palm. Smiling she glanced over his shoulder and pushed herself up leaning against her arm. There wasn't a single item left on the walls, shelves, or dressers; so many broken items on the floor that the carpet was barely visible. She looked straight across to the side door with a large crack going straight up the middle and burn marks cascading up the wall in her peripheral on the left. Her eye-line continued along until it landed on the full length mirror shattered in the corner. Wide eyed she looked back towards his full length grin.

"I know right?"

She smacked his chest and crawled to the other end of the bed, avoiding the dip on one side and taking in the scene.

"How… the hell – what-"she whirled back around to face him. "How did this happen?"

Kai smirked and sat up reaching for her ankle to pull her back.

"I could show you better than I could tell you."

"Nice try," she mused pushing her foot against his stomach to stop his movements "but everything is… destroyed, I mean look at this room."

"I know," he said with a satisfied grin.

"So was this you… or me? Is that how it usually was for you? Because," she laughed "that's not exactly how it usually plays out in my life."

"I've had brief encounters," he said nonchalantly "like a real watered-down version of that. I'm sure it happened and you just didn't notice; lights flickering, things falling, your fingertips and skin tingling," he grazed his up her leg over her knee to demonstrate.

Bonnie reminisced through her not-so-stellar sex life and although those times were absolutely nothing like this, she could recall instances of things unexpectedly falling off her desk and candles blowing out during romantic evenings.

"But while you could have it like that any time you pleased I only felt it if I had a momentary hold of my own magic, or was fooling around with a fellow witch."

Bonnie felt her legs and arms involuntary tense up picturing Kai putting the same moves on another girl while the room came crashing down around them. Siphoning their magic and using it back against them as they're helpless to him, desperate for more. She knew she felt a flare of anger arise seeing Kai cozied up and happy with his girlfriend but could feel something deep within her fighting to break free as she imagined him falling on top of someone else with the same relentless pace, his thrusts dominating contrasting against the tenderness in his kissing.

A sharp tingling around her ankle pulled her out of her daydream into Kai's sapphire eyes.

"You're giving me this really intense look right now, like this-"he demonstrated with an angry stare of eyebrows scrunched and mouth puckered from gritted teeth.

Bonnie tried to laugh it off; turning her head back towards the rest of the room.

"Sorry, daydreaming."

"About?"

"About… how different my sex life could have been if I had known more witches."

Kai laughed and pulled her leg closer so her butt landed next to his hip and their faces were a foot apart.

"Well I'm glad I'm your first, Bonnie Bennett."

Bonnie tried to shake away his response with a sway of her head but it stuck and implanted itself deep in her mind.

"First time for everything," she responded indifferently, her nerves causing her to avoid his gaze "speaking of, do you know what time it is?"

"After midnight, closer to one."

"Really?"

"Yeah; we made dinner for a couple hours and ate around 4, then had some fun of our own for a few more hours and when you passed out it was after 8."

"You didn't fall asleep too?"

"No I took a shower, grabbed that second plate of food that was already put together and ready to go and refueled my system. Then I came back up and waited, and waited some more, and got tired of waiting and woke you up."

"That's _one way_ to describe it;" she laughed "that was quite a wakeup call."

Kai smiled wide and shrugged trailing his hands up the outside of her leg to her thigh over her hip and ribs until he cupped her breast pausing for a moment, continuing up to the side of her neck.

"Your skin's so soft; I never get enough of feeling it against mine."

Bonnie felt a small shiver hit her and Kai's eyes darkened when he felt it too. Her heart started to beat faster knowing where this was leading fast and she needed to take a break from everything for a moment before the roof collapsed on top of them.

"I feel like we should choose a new room to sleep in tonight, this one's a little untidy."

"I don't know," he murmured looking around the room "I have some pretty fond memories in here."

"Yeah well, one false step and they will be our _last_ memories here," she pointed out and he tilted his head from side to side in a give or take gesture.

"You're not entirely wrong, alright lead the way."

He looked over his right shoulder finding their bags still in front of the end table under a pile of rubble and yanked them up through it.

"Watch your step," he pointed out as she hesitatingly put her foot down on the carpet surrounded by glass, wooden beams, curtains, and random objects like picture frames, marbles, and books.

Bonnie tiptoed her way out jumping the last five feet to the open space, looking behind her to see the door broken against the wall and her eyes shot up in surprise. She stumbled through the entrance and scurried across the hall to the next door, sighing in relief at the crisp and refreshing look of a clean room. A large bed similar to the other was directly in front of her minus the canopy posts and a small writing desk was in the far right corner. Kai dropped the bags at the entrance where she stood and snaked his arms around her stomach pressing his lips into her shoulder.

"Ooh look at the nice, spotless, unruffled room; I don't see how it wouldn't stay like this."

"Oh it's staying," she laughed "you fiend. I'm going to take a shower because I really need to, I'll be back in five minutes."

"I could shower with you," he suggested pulling her closer against him.

"Yeah right, my five minutes would turn into an endeavor – no way. Just go settle down a bit, would you?"

Kai chuckled behind her and loosened his grip, stepping backwards so she could walk diagonal across the hall to the bathroom. She wasn't exaggerating when she said she was going to be five minutes, the need to wash her body momentarily clean of all the images that will be forever seared into her brain. The steam was coming off of her skin when she hopped out and wrapped a towel around her, walking back to the new room and finding Kai facedown stretched across the bed.

Bonnie smiled and walked across the room slowly, his steady breathing a sign he was drifting off if not already asleep. She walked to the left side of the bed and looked him over, her smile dropping at the instant recognition of the scar on his back. The slash mark trailed from his left side underneath his rib cage all the way up to his right shoulder blade. The wound wasn't nearly as red or fresh as when she saw it up close and personal during his flashback but the faded pink line was still clearly visible. Her eyebrows drew in even farther at the thought that the scar wouldn't have healed any more once he was trapped in the prison world; his body frozen in time holding onto every scar and feature.

Bonnie glided her hand up the mark starting under his ribs and felt him shiver under her touch. She felt a twinge in her chest and had to swallow past the lump in her throat as her hand drifted back down. Kai hummed in content and her lip trembled involuntarily as a flash of him yelling out in agony blindsided her. She crawled into the small space between him and the end of the bed and lay on her side, her right hand drifting across his back leaving swirls all over.

Kai turned his head so he was facing her and opened his eyes sleepily; the defenseless look mirroring the same vulnerability she felt. She grinned feeling a rush of true lightheartedness and scooted in closer, leaning in and resting her forehead against his. Bonnie took the next few minutes to really appreciate this softer and unguarded side of Kai that she's seen before but never this… intensely. She could always feel the sexual attraction and invisible pull from him knowing all too well that some of the moves he put on her was for that reason specifically.

Her blood pressure spiked going through the countless situations she's found herself in with him and how rapidly they have escalated; both the actions and the emotions behind them. A small fragment in the back of her mind has had her questioning if the chase or the sexual conquest was what he has truly been after all of this time; although she doesn't have a definitive answer his actions seem to back up her theory that it is not the case.

Kai's heavy breathing lulled her back out of her thoughts and she stopped her movements against his back, gently lifting her hand and leaning back before getting off the bed and walking to the door to grab her bag. She rifled through until she found a pair of shorts and tank top, dropping the towel and switching wardrobes before heading downstairs to find something small to pick at.

Flashes of her and Kai's last altercation played through as she took the same route back into the kitchen, finding the untouched pumpkin pie and pulling the whole thing towards her before cutting a fourth of it and sliding it onto a plate. She scooped up a fork and poured a glass of apple cider before making her way back to the bedroom. Tossing the small blanket at the end of the bed over Kai for some warmth, she settled under the covers at the top of the bed and dove into her pie, humming in delight over the delicious midnight snack.

Bonnie let her mind drift through their vivid encounters and her skin rose with awareness feeling his charged touch roaming over her body. She glanced down to her right at his profile and noticed now more than ever before how much younger he looked when he was sleeping. Every worry line, cheeky smirk, and hard edge wiped from his face leaving behind a softness that left her wondering how his father managed to corrupt him so severely.

From Kai's outward appearance and the way he presents himself no one would ever suspect the hardships he's had to endure; starting from too young of an age up until he was banished to a Hell dimension all of his own. Bonnie recalled the first emotions that took hold of her when she found out who he was and what this place was; her inclination to keep the bad guy locked up tight and not wavering from her moral obligations to do what is right being the backbone of the relationship they had while Damon was here. She remembers feeling justified in her actions when she drew first blood - the knowledge of him being a sociopath and a murderer the only incentive she needed to kill him.

Bonnie had attempted to end a person's life she had only known for a couple of days solely based on the information she learned about him without knowing the person himself. Once she turned off her blinders and got a glimpse inside she saw the circumstances that led up that point in time. She couldn't agree to it being an acceptable action or retaliation by any means but she still found herself empathizing with Kai; having insight into the deepest parts of his mind and against her better judgement felt true sympathy for him.

The thought bubble that was most worrisome and kept coming back to her wasn't her unflinching ability to do terrible deeds if warranted, but the instant chemistry she felt with Kai during their first encounter. Without any comprehension of whom this guy was he ignited something within her so white-hot it erupted out of her; her magic breaking free from its confined cage and rejuvenating her entire system. She allowed her intuition to guide her and it brought her directly against Kai's chest as he murmured on about being able to focus, while Damon interceded the unexpected moment and kept her mind on their one and only goal; leaving this place. Bonnie shook her head at herself; "the goal" – although still a main priority – had been pushed down the line on more than one occasion making her question if that had always been the most important thing, leaving an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

Kai breathing in deep and stirring caught her attention, looking down into his groggy stare as his eyebrows drew in slightly. He pushed up enough to crawl until he hit the pillows and thudded back down. The blankets were already pulled down a bit so he was able to get under them with ease, eyes already closed as he blindly reached for her.

Bonnie rolled her eyes through a smile and reached to her left to put the plate on the nightstand and flip off the switch on the lamp. She turned back towards him and his hands slid under her tank-top to her back, pulling her close. A slight shiver went down her spine from his cold hands and she pressed herself closer in response. Her forehead landed against his and she felt her eyelids getting heavier, his embrace lulling her into a sense of comfort. She slid her hand over his collar and around his shoulder, her fingernails gliding down his back and his shoulders relaxing completely on a deep exhale.

"Love that," he murmured in a raspy voice that sent a heatwave underneath her skin.

She smiled knowingly and continued to trace designs until she was drifting off, a distant thought of the day to come pinging before the darkness came over her.


	33. Chapter 33

"I can't believe you packed leftovers for yourself" she chuckled, watching him simultaneously eat from the plastic container on his lap while driving.

"Packed _us_ leftovers, yours is in the back; that dinner was delicious of course I was taking some with me."

They had already been on the road for five hours and Kai had driven the entire time while Bonnie was absorbed in the Grimoire's. The majority of their conversations had been about things she learned or information that would be beneficial to them. She had combed through the sections highlighting the forms of magic; traditional, ancestral, sacrificial – the books even discussed the beginning of dark magic and expression but nothing was standing out.

"Your dad was pissed and had a safety net to fall into if you tried to leave before I ruined his plans – I can only imagine what we're going to be up against now."

"So what are you thinking; protection shield, resurrection spell – throwing a bone and seeing if another witch will pick it up and help us out?"

"And piggyback off their magic," she thought out loud and vigorously flipped through the pages until she found one of the titles and slapped it with her hand.

"Spirit magic!" she exclaimed "How did I not think of this before? I have _done this_ myself and it really did work."

Bonnie bopped around for a moment in her seat, her fried brain from reading for so long finally surging back to life with a purpose.

"Done what?"

"A few years ago one of the Original vampires Klaus and I had an altercation that I knew I wasn't going to make it out of and Damon came up with a solution."

She continued through the roll of his eyes.

"Klaus wasn't going to stop until I was dead and I needed to make him believe it. There's a protection spell that can be completed by harnessing the power of a group of dead witches and it prevents you from dying; allowing you to be resurrected if you did meet certain doom."

"And it works?"

"Oh yeah."

He looked over at her when she didn't continue.

"It works, trust me."

"You died?"

"Technically, yeah."

"Huh," he said genuinely surprised. "Just another thing we have in common – the walking dead."

"In the flesh," she joked back and read through the _Spirit Magic_ section. "Usually you need a place where the witches were killed to harness their energy from but, you already got that out of the way. All that's left is the spell itself, and candles – I don't know what it is about candles."

"Helps to draw in their energy, maybe – or they need a light to find their way out of the underworld."

"Yeah I'm gonna guess it's not the latter."

"You never know," he shrugged "so even if I die during the excursion home, I'll come back to life back in present day?"

"Theoretically" she answered and he groaned in response.

"That's a little unsettling. What if I just die and you get shipped off to Mystic Falls? Got to say I'll be pretty pissed when I wake up."

"I've done it before," she said stubbornly.

"I believe you, but you also weren't jumping through time dimensions nor had an irate coven leader on your ass in the process. What if it doesn't work?"

"It'll work."

"And yet I won't be able to say _I told you so_ if I'm right."

She turned her head looking at the side of his face, the muscles in his jaw moving being the only tell in his expression. Turning the rest of her body with it her back ended up against the door while her feet were bent in between them. Kai focused on the road and she waited a full minute before breaking the silence.

"Are you still nervous about me leaving without you?"

"Nervous" he laughed "try aware, and vigilant of the circumstances we've been up against. My dad's been trying to get rid of me for years, almost succeeded half a dozen times and I don't want to add any more to the list."

"We'll double up doses then; the protection spell and the resurrection spell as a fail-safe in case you're having trouble waking up once we get back home – and we _will_ both make it there. I did not go through all of this time and effort to _not_ bring you back with me; have a little faith."

Bonnie saw Kai's jaw unclench into a sincere smile, putting the cover over his basically empty container and tossing it behind his shoulder. He reached next to him and wrapped his hand around her ankle gently gliding his hand up her calf and back down leaving a tingling on her skin.

"In you, or in beating the circumstances we're up against?"

She briefly played through said circumstances – his father and his magic, helping Kai escape his prison, the impending doom she'll face from her friends – and pushed them all to the back of her mind as she kept her sights on him.

"In me," she said sincerely and he squeezed her ankle in response.

"Wouldn't be here if I didn't."

Kai said the remark as a casual side-thought but the meaning behind it hit her a little more deeply. For almost half of his life he has been in solitary confinement – no relationship with any other person which would understandably make it difficult to connect with anyone yet Kai seemed to open up to her easily. Even before he was locked away the only real bond Bonnie knew of that he had was with his twin sister; genuine and unwavering until the bitter end where in his eyes her betrayal landed him here. He did let himself get close with Gabriela too, even if he denies it – but he was always left with his guard up against her no matter how much they both fought to break it down. Bonnie would be the first to admit how difficult it can be to trust anybody, especially when moments from your past back up your reasoning on why you shouldn't.

"What are you thinking?" he wondered as he took in her expression.

"You surprise me sometimes."

"In a good way?" he questioned with a raise of his eyebrow.

"In a confusing way," she answered back truthfully "in a really _infuriatingly-unsettling-sincere yet contradictory_ type of way."

"How so?"

"Let me list the ways," she laughed "the person I've gotten to know and the guy I've heard all of these things about can sometimes seem like two separate people. When I talk to you it seems genuine and honest and – well – surprising at times, and then it clashes against the actions that I know you're going to continue to do when we get out here."

She shook her head and let out a huff using her hands as scales in front of her.

"Person I've spent the last couple of months getting to know," she tipped to the other hand "kid who is hell-bent on being the leader of his coven."

"Why can't I be both?"

"Because one of them plans on killing people while the other's got along perfectly fine without it."

"That guy's also recently been pleasantly distracted," he smirked and pulled her foot so it was resting on his thigh "not that I'm complaining."

Bonnie felt her cheeks flare at the sheer mention of the room-shattering sex she'd just discovered and fought the urge to pull her leg away.

"So when the distractions stop you'll be back on your _revenge path?_ "

"How _villainous,_ " he joked back "but we both know this distraction isn't going anywhere."

"Oh really?" she scoffed.

"Oh, _really_ ," he answered back with certainty and shot her the same expression.

Bonnie gritted her teeth at his arrogance and felt a flare or irritation when her body responded to his remark.

"Don't go getting ahead of yourself Kai – being locked away in this prison world together is one thing but everything's going to change when we're back in present day. I'll be in Mystic Falls, you'll be going to Portland to ruin lives; I just don't see how this would continue in the real world."

"I'd come back," he shrugged "I'd get things squared away, pay my father a visit, and be back before you know it."

"No," she let out and shook her head trying to think straight "you don't – you aren't understanding me."

"What don't I get?"

"That this – _us_ –isn't going to work out; we're two different people."

"We seem to be doing fine so far," he said without missing a beat and looked over at her unconvinced "and we have more in common thank you let yourself realize."

"I don't think so."

"It's true; I could probably make a chart showing me vs. you on all the things we line up on but I'll save that for another time – maybe at your house in present day."

Bonnie shook her head his stubbornness and wished they were home or anywhere that she could walk away from him instead of being cramped inside a car.

"Not gonna happen."

"We'll see."

" _You'll_ see," she corrected earning a dark and seductive stare in return that against her best efforts sparked something within her.

"Care to make it interesting?"

"How – you want to make a bet if we're going to sleep together when we're back home?"

"Well that'd be a bet you'd lose," he laughed and _oof'd_ at her foot swinging into his ribs "Kidding – kidding – no; how about a bet that this, what's happening between us, is going to continue against your best efforts for it not to and it'll win out in the end."

"Win – as in…"

"Damon throwing me into a wall in fit of jealous rage when he finds out he can't have you" he smiled cheekily.

" _Damon?_ " she laughed at the absurdity "you could not be more wrong – he's in love with my best friend."

"Mm, I remember… vividly. _Elena this, Elena that_ " he mimicked in a brooding voice "God that guy can wear out a name. Still, he seems the type that likes to have a dominance and ownership over people, am I right? Or maybe it's just with you – the witch in his back pocket."

Bonnie's eyes sliced into his and she kicked him in the ribs harder making his arms jerk the steering wheel. Kai had not been the first person to refer to her like that, Damon had even made a side-remark years ago that sounded eerily similar but she refused to think of herself that way.

"I'm nobody's pet," she said through gritted teeth.

"Hit a nerve?"

"You can be such an ass."

"Honesty works that way."

" _Honest?_ You _honestly_ think that he has any type of control over me?"

"No, but I think that _he_ believes it. That you'll do anything and everything for him because of his connection with your best friend that ultimately forced a friendship between the two of you. You care about him, he's made the list; unfortunately for you that came with a whole bunch of things you have to watch out for and put up with in return. You want to protect him which, I get the sense you do for people too much and now he relies on your magic to get him out of trouble."

He continued when she didn't respond.

"I had awhile to see the type of man – or should I say 150 plus a decade or two- old vampire - that he was and I have to admit" he shrugged "I'm not that impressed."

"Neither of you seemed too fond of each other."

"Fighting for your attention," he smiled and she laughed at the thought.

"Two dominant personalities clashing and making things more difficult, how would that not get my attention?"

"Should be a fun reunion for us don't 'cha think?"

"It would definitely be… memorable. But who says it even has to get to there? You could be on a flight halfway across the country before he knows you're back."

"Where's the fun in that?" he asked incredulously "I haven't been with a group of people in a decade or two – give or take – I think a welcome home party is pretty essential."

"Even though you know these people are not going to be happy about seeing you?"

"The more the merrier," he smirked and she shook her head.

"That would end so terribly, let's just think about this for the night alright?"

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Sure, I'll think about all of the different first impressions I'm going to get while Damon grills me five feet away."

Bonnie's loud groan cut off Kai's thoughts and laughed at her genuine discomfort over the topic of him intermingling with her life back at home; the two couldn't be farther apart. She leaned forward to turn on the radio, suddenly desperate to escape this conversation and found a song she liked turning the volume up high.

Kai glanced over at her and snickered before singing along to the song; the last conversation stirring in the back of her mind for the next couple of hours.

-x—x—x-

By the time they walked through the Salvatore's house it was after 10PM and the both of them looked wrecked. Kai had driven for almost eight of the ten hours which ended in him almost driving straight through a tollbooth while she slept. She spent the last two hours lost in thought as he slept laid out beside her and still looked half asleep as he dragged his feet into the kitchen.

"Hungry?"

Her stomach grumbled in response and he smiled lazily with heavy eyelids, turning to the freezer and pulling out frozen raviolis and sauce from the fridge. Filling a pot with water he turned on the stove, placed another pot with sauce on low behind it and spun back towards her.

"I'm gonna jump in the shower quick – maybe the cold water will wake me up – when the water boils throw them in and turn it down low and I should be back."

Bonnie nodded at his instructions and he was out of sight, giving her only five minutes alone before he came sauntering back into the kitchen in just a pair of black sweatpants. She looked over at him as she was pouring in the raviolis and a few splashed into the pot, water flying back at her.

" _Ow!_ " she let out backing away and shaking her hand.

"I leave you alone for five minutes," he murmured coming up next to her and checking her hand "I think you'll survive"

"Thanks, Doc" she pulled her hand away and looked over at his freshly showered hair in disarray and could smell his body-wash. Her eyes fell on the necklace that he always wears and she traced the symbol with her thumb.

"Jo gave you this."

"She did."

"And you still wear it."

"I do."

"Do you ever take it off?"

"Not usually, don't really need to; not going too many places and my outfits have all blended into the same wardrobe."

"How come you've kept it through all these years?"

He shrugged and put his hand over hers, lifting them both so he could see the symbol.

"I like it, looks cool, and goes with everything. Plus it makes for an interesting story behind it and paints me as a warrior of wisdom, and power, and leadership – overall sounds pretty good."

Bonnie couldn't help but laugh at the casualness to his answer, somehow expecting a more meaningful response about his sister but this one seeming much more natural. He turned back to the stove and turned it off, straining the raviolis and putting them back on the stove.

"Sauce?"

"Sure."

Sauce mixed into the pan of raviolis until her mouth was watering from hunger and he pushed a bowl across the island to her; grated cheese sprinkled on the top giving it that extra kick. Kai walked over to the fridge and poured them both a glass of juice and sat beside her digging into his meal.

They ate in comfortable silence, the occasional glance and side-comment being enough until they were finished and she hovered in her seat.

"Upstairs or living room?" he asked when she made no effort to get up and felt a wave of awareness overcome her.

"It's our last night here," she said with revelation.

"I know, pretty significant."

"The last night for… a lot of things; solitude, not having to pay for anything, this intimate snuggling thing we have going on."

"Woah woah," he said with hands raised "you went from things you'll be happy to be without to things that you'll be missing desperately."

"Kai," she sighed "this is our last night – and I mean _our_ last night. You're going to be going off to do things I cannot think about and I am going to try and get my life back on track. This wouldn't work out for a novel's length worth of other reasons too but I'll just leave it at that."

Kai's condescending smile like he knew she didn't believe a word that was coming out of her own mouth sent a flare of anger sizzling underneath her skin. He walked towards her and spun her around on the stool, leaning against the counter caging her in.

"So what should we do, on our last night?"

Bonnie knew Kai was testing her and she felt her muscles tense in response; both in anger and against her darker more unsettling needs. Knowing that she wouldn't give herself the chance once they were back in Mystic Falls, she reached forward and dragged her nails down his chest until they wrapped around his waistband. She watched Kai's pupils dilate as he leaned in closer and grazed her ear with his bottom lip.

" _Say it_ ," he whispered.

"Say what?"

"What you want to do tonight?"

Bonnie felt a surge of adrenaline go through her at the thought of saying the words out loud; the actions somehow easier to do than the vulnerability of putting it out there. Her grip on his waistband tightened and she tried to slip her hand inside to avoid the question but he caught her wrist.

"I want to hear you say it."

"I'm not saying it."

"Say it."

"No!"

Kai pulled her off the stool and turned her into the wall behind him, pressing up against her firmly and locking her in place. His hands ran up her thighs and held onto her hips, pulling her into a roll of his hips and feeling him already hard through the fabric. She felt the familiar ache inside her that only he seemed to appease; the hunger growing more forceful each time her urges are kept at bay. Licking her lips she closed her eyes to clear her head and it only amplified his lower half flush against hers.

Bonnie could feel his body heat radiating off of him and felt his burning skin under her palms as she used him as leverage to gain her momentum against him. Her eyes shot open to Kai's darkened gaze looking back down at her, the intense and seductive look drawing her in against her efforts to not let him affect her.

Kai's hands wrapped around her wrists when she started back for his pants and pressed them flat on either side of her face. His fingers trailed up and wrapped around hers as she felt another roll of his hips and squeezed his hands, him doing the same and a jolt going through her fingertips. She gasped at the sensation and Kai leaned his forehead against hers.

"Just tell me; what do you want?"

The jolt of new magic surging through her brought back vivid flashes so sharp she could feel his power coursing through her bloodstream and the invincible feeling that followed along with it. One more jolt or roll of his hips and she knew she would be unraveling.

" _I want you._ "

"Why?"

"What? _You know why."_

He stared at her with an innocent smile and patient expression; waiting for her explanation.

"Because you're attractive."

Kai's smile flashed bright and the close proximity to his face and body over the topic of choice had her closing her eyes to put some small barrier between them.

" _Why do you want me, Bon_?"

Bonnie had thought – with certainty – she would never find herself in this scenario with Kai Parker. After her discovery of his family she had never expected to be able to be in the same room as him without her moral outrage taking him out. The steps they have made and connection that's strengthened over the time they've spent alone has truly shown her a different person within the shell of someone she thought she had pegged.

Against her best efforts Kai had still managed to burrow himself deep inside her mind and seep into her other thoughts and feelings, slowly taking her over one emotion at a time. Bonnie had never experienced anything like this before with her exes or crushes over the years and couldn't decipher if that was the reason that she's been keeping herself a safe distance away or why she was finally acting on them. The attraction that she had towards him; over his appearance, intelligence, and begrudgingly his sense of humor drew her in like a vortex that once in his grasp was impossible to escape from. The thought that worried her most was that she wasn't certain how much she wanted to anymore.

"Because I like you."

Bonnie squeezed her eyes shut so tight you couldn't pry them open with a tool; the confession sounding amplified and hysterical out loud that she almost burst into a nervous fit.

"Look at me."

Her teeth clenched at his gentle command, fighting against it with every stubborn bone in her body. She opened her eyes and looked down, swatting his hand away when he reached for her neck. Slipping his hands around her wrists he pulled them over her head – his presence filling up the entire room and sucked the air out of her lungs. Taking a deep breath she stood her ground and glared directly up into his eyes.

"I like you too," he smiled.

Bonnie's eyebrows drew in; her features giving off an unconvinced expression.

"Is that so hard to believe?" he laughed "you've become the least annoying person I've ever met, and that's really saying something."

His grin widened at her scoff.

"You're spunky, quick-witted, got that Bennett fire; what's not to like?"

"You were pretty fond of all of those attributes before any of this started happening," she emphasized with a shake of her wrists "those are just things to like about me, they're not – it's not-"

Bonnie knew she couldn't break his hold but needed room to breathe; side stepping to the left twice and landing in the entryway to the living room. She took a step back and he followed her movements.

"What?"

"It's not the same."

"Why not?"

Their arms were outstretched in between them, what would look like a happy and romantic gesture if he was holding her hands and not her wrists.

"Because liking things _about_ someone isn't the same as liking them; feelings, emotions and vulnerability are all a big part of becoming invested in someone. Do those sound like any traits that you possess?"

Bonnie backed up another few steps when he didn't respond and he rubbed his thumbs over her skin.

"I don't need to have an overblown emotional attachment to be invested in someone," he took a step closer and she copied his step leading her into the middle of the room. "I've gone along just fine so far."

"You said yourself girls would be more committed, with expectations, and get overly attached because you couldn't reciprocate those feelings for them. Whatever you're feeling is a lusty infatuation on overdrive from lack of any and all human touch and interaction; it'll pass."

"Then how do you know that you like me? Even my best traits weren't too high up on your checklist; dashing and cunning to throw out a few."

"Because you make me crazy," she huffed, hitting her thigh off the armrest on the couch and stiffening her arms to stop him "Like I am losing my damn mind and questioning everything."

"You were like that before," he winked.

"Yeah but at least then I knew where I stood – we stood – everything's so confusing now."

"It doesn't have to be."

"You're wrong," she tried to pull her arms away again and groaned in frustration "Would you - ? I'm not going to run."

Kai looked back and forth into her eyes before letting go and putting his hands in his pockets.

"I don't know how to explain this any other way; we're going home – as in back to Mystic Falls 2012 – and it's not going to be the same anymore. You're going to hunt down your family which says something all on its own while I try to return to some form of normalcy. Normalcy does not involve hooking up with a sociopath while he's mid-spree, even if it does come with some really intense perks."

"But you like me."

It meant to come out as a statement but it sounded more like a question.

"That's beside the point; I won't be seeing you anymore."

"And if you do? If I come back or stay in Mystic Falls and become best friends with everybody – then what? What happens when we're right back in this scenario and I have you alone while your friends are in the next room; you think anything else is going to matter?"

Bonnie hoped his words sparked an anger in her that she could feed off of but his words set off a feeling deep inside; the want betraying her mind as it fought to break free and swayed slightly dizzy at her body responding to his enticing words.

"Listen to my words, Kai; tonight is our last night together… period. Whether you're 3,000 miles away or cornering me in some room – once we're back in the real world _my real life_ I need things to go back to my semi-usual routine."

"And what was that; go to school, see your friends, then save them all from the dilemma of the day?"

She shrugged at the spot-on accuracy of her daily schedule.

"Pretty much, yeah. I don't think I'll be putting my life on the line again anytime soon cause," she gestured to the ceiling with a wave of her hand "this sucks, but I am curious to see what kind of trouble they've gotten themselves into while I was gone."

"Yeah, I do hope Damon and Elena have gotten themselves into quite the pickle – for your sake."

"Mine?"

Kai tilted his head and leaned back on his heels.

"Well yeah, I figured Damon would be too preoccupied to try and help you escape when he first got back since he was reunited at long last with his one… true… blech-" he shuddered with a nauseated look "but now here we are, two months later, and not a pair of eyes filled with main-pain in sight."

"Did you forget about the part where he tried to magically bust me out of here?"

"With the help of my father and at the expense of myself – I do, vividly. It was clever of him I'll give him that; trying to kill two birds with one coven leader but what – that's it? A _one and done_ type of guy ' _hey at least I tried my best._ '" he tsk'd and shook his head, Bonnie's teeth clenching down hard looking at his forlorn expression.

"Neither of us know if that was his first, tenth, or hundredth attempt to get me out of here. I know if he went through the trouble of searching for him in Portland then he must have tried at the very least some basics. I'm the witch of the group I – it's usually me that figures the way out of situations like this. And I did exorcise the first real and easy escape since I was dropped here 6 months ago."

"He has your magic; there isn't another witch in town he could go to? What about your family?"

"No, there isn't" she said coolly avoiding the second half of the question but she could see the curiosity swirling around his irises.

"We're not talking about my family right now" she said sternly before he could get the question out, his mouth stuck open before snapping closed.

Kai looked her over with inquisitiveness; intrigued and unfaltering as he hummed. His smiled out of the corner of his mouth and nodded; the simple gesture telling her he understood all too well and it sent a flurry in her stomach.

"Okay, we'll get back to that later. Do you want to talk about the best friend that happily has her boo back, or wasn't there some blond vampire that could compel answers out of someone? Oh wait… is there a school dance happening? That could definitely clear some things up."

"Oh my God," she let out frustrated, pushing his chest back and stepping towards him. "What is your problem?"

"What?" he answered back nonchalantly "I'm just trying to figure out where everyone is at the moment."

"By telling me all of the ways they haven't tried to rescue me? You're intentionally trying to piss me off – _tonight_ – why are you doing this?"

"Because I want you to realize it."

"Realize what?"

"That I'm not the worst person you have in your life."

"And this is how you're trying to prove it to me?" even through her raising temperature she could feel Kai's body-heat radiating off his chest from how close she was.

"I guess," he laughed "maybe not the best execution but the point behind it is still true. I also had the opportunity to leave without you; 1. When I realized all I needed was your blood and the spell and 2. The weeks I could have spent searching for the ascendant, but I didn't. As much as I want to leave I didn't want you to be stuck here alone because trust me – even if I'm not your favorite company this is nothing compared to solitude. I do contemplate what will happen to you based off my actions and judge it between the two; see if the ends justify the means and all that."

"For example" he proceeded when she didn't "I hit you with an arrow – flesh wound – to stop you from leaving because you left me for dead. Example two; open invitation to my bed anytime you need - _any_ , time you need - because you were having nightmares. I've even waited for you to show me and _yourself_ signs that what you were feeling for me wasn't purely hatred before I acted on them. Whatever has happened between us while we've been here – I'm usually the one to finish it but I'm rarely the one that initiates it; maybe instigates."

"You're saying I'm the one causing all of this?"

"I'm saying _we both are_ , mutually; as much as you try to deny it or justify why you wouldn't give me the time of day in the real world I know it's bullshit because I see the way you look at me."

"And how is that?"

"Same way I look at you."

Bonnie could see the shit-eating grin out of the corner of her eye when she finally broke contact.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Nope," she thought out loud, his laugh registering with her that she did say it verbally.

"Just one question."

"It's _never_ just one question there is inevitably a follow-up every time."

"I promise – if you answer it fully – it'll be the only one."

"I'm already regretting this but… what?"

"Well it was originally going to be ' _do you know why you're fighting this so hard?_ ' but I'll change it to _do you think you're fighting this so hard because of me, your friends, or how you feel?_ "

 _Fuck_ she hoped she didn't think out loud again, taking in his calm expression and small distance between them in contrast to the sheer magnitude of the living room. Bonnie knew if she backed away or made any movements he would sense it before she could put it into action; his intuition towards her oftentimes unsettling and never ceased to keep her slightly on edge. She would be lying to herself if she didn't admit that she was terrified of every one of those aspects in regards to why she keeps trying to put some type of roadblock between them.

"You just wanted to know the question, didn't you?" he smiled brightly down at her when she didn't respond, her smile mimicking his over the true statement.

"Yeah actually" she laughed "so of course you made it one I do not want to answer. I don't know – all of the above? The whole package is pretty fragile and it's up against a lot of tough critics, me being the worst of them all. I still don't think I'll be able to get past what you did to your family – especially with the lack of remorse you feel over it – but even if I did miraculously manage to at one point I'll still have people in my ear telling me things I'm already telling myself. And then there will be you _doing_ the things _I'm stressing out over._ I'm fighting whatever's been going on between us because every rational thought surging through me is telling me to."

Bonnie watched Kai absorb her answer, flexing his hands at his sides and grinding his teeth as his jaw moved side to side. He stared into her eyes so intensely she felt as if he was trying to have a conversation without all of the outside noise. Her line of view dropped to him licking his upper lip and biting down gently as it plumped back out. She was so distracted that it took her a moment to put together why he still hadn't spoken.

"You have a follow up, don't you?"

"I do – I really do, but I'll drop it I promised."

Bonnie couldn't help but laugh at the rushed out response, Kai needing to physically keep his mouth shut to not let it spill out of him.

"Am I going to want to answer this one?"

"Probably not," he shrugged.

"Just say it."

"If every thought is telling you to run, what's making you stay?"

Bonnie pursed her lips and had to give him credit – he was excellent at getting right to the root of questions to a place you just do not want to go to. This certainly isn't the first time she has noticed Kai pushing her to look more in-depth into her own self and bring things to the surface she never would have unearthed on her own.

This follow up was much more difficult than the original; the contrast of having many answers as to why she's fighting it to not a single solid reason for why she can't seem to break free from the invisible gravitation towards him. The actions she's displayed towards and in regards to him have come into a direct head-on collision against what her mind has been telling her to do. The connection between them has grown from a spark being lit to a fire cascading over the top of the mantle and up the wall; too powerful to be contained.

While every sensible thought was filling her head with reasons why this was wrong, an electric charge coursed through her veins reigniting every sensation that reminded her of how _right_ it was. No matter what horrible scenario from the past or hypothetical future she conjured up she still couldn't appease the desire she felt for him. Her brain had caused a war within itself from the constant back and forth and sometimes hypocritical circumstances that would end up playing out; but through it all her heart stayed true and resolute.

"Because I like you," she said eventually, shaking her head at the preposterousness of it all "even with my every thought telling me no-"

"Oh please tell me you're gonna quote that song."

"Which one?"

"My minds' telling me no," he belted out "but my body – my body's telling me yesss."

He raised his arms near her shoulders and fisted his hands for added effect, causing her to snort involuntarily at the simple but perfect explanation for what she is feeling.

"It's like you read my mind, just in a much more theatrical way."

He lowered his hands and they landed on the outside of her arms, lazily sliding down as she felt the charge underneath her skin from his fingertips.

"Which do you think will win out in the end?"

Bonnie's throat constricted at the thought, her waging war inside heading towards its inevitable fate of having to choose a side and stick with it. A quote she studied senior year by Robert Frost pinged from somewhere in her mind;

 _Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice. From what I've tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if I had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate to say that for destruction ice is also great and would suffice._

The class discussion revolved around the different interpretations of the poem and – of course – which fate you would choose. Some of the ideas she recalls that stuck with her was that Robert Frost wasn't talking about the end of the world, but the end of a relationship; doomed to end in a fiery blaze or cut off cold and calculated. Another theory was that Frost was showing us the two darkest traits of humanity; the capacity to hate and to be consumed by lust; both lethal but lust being the main destruction of the world that we know.

Ironically enough, Bonnie felt that both explanations resonated within her and fit the current predicament she was in. If it came down to it their ongoing flirtation would come to an abrupt end by means of either a scorching lust-filled night that would set the town ablaze, or a sinister hostility that would be sure to leave an icy chill up their spine straight through to their heart. Bonnie knew the obvious choice of which she would prefer; but while one was brutal and effective the other would leave her wanting more.

"I wish I really could read your mind, I bet I would get so many answers to questions I didn't even know I had."

Bonnie pulled herself out of her ongoing train of thoughts and looked up into his smiling eyes, reaching out to trail her fingers up his naked chest and stepping into him as his arms closed around her.

"I have a theory."

Maybe she had been with Kai for too long because she knew she had on an expression that could only be considered a cheeky smile. Kai cocked an eyebrow as his grin continued to spread and pulled her in close.

"I bet I'll figure it out."

Bonnie could feel her fingertips sending out shocks against his chest – his words triggering something inside her and he slid his hands underneath her shirt roaming across her back. His hands continued to caress her skin sliding over her jeans, pulling her in closer to him and smiling at the feel of the sweatpants against her; vivid flashes of their night in the cave playing out.

"I'm not taking that bet," she murmured as her hands continued up his chest and neck, cupping the sides as her fingers raked through his hair.

"I wouldn't want to bet on something I know I'd lose either," he nuzzled his nose against hers and she felt a warm flurry start to swirl, closing the distance between them with one tug of his hair and his lips sealed over hers.


	34. Chapter 34

Kai had stripped Bonnie of everything but her bra and panties, firmly wrapped around him as he made his way up the steps and down the hall to the bedroom. She could feel her body charged with an electric buzz of adrenaline and lust, her heart thudding loudly as it quickened under his skillful kisses. Each tilt of his head and soft graze of his tongue had her pressing into him for more; his intimate knowledge of what can make her toes curl up to her claws coming out already seeming familiar to him – the disclosure extremely disconcerting.

Pushing open the door with his foot he carried her across the room and laid her down on the side of the bed pressing his body against her as her hands roamed around his back. He grabbed her hips and nudged her backwards until he had room to kneel over her, pulling her up swiftly as he leaned back to straddle his lap. Her hips circled over his and the sweatpants against her lace panties sent a heatwave underneath her skin; the same moment Kai unsnapped her bra and took her nipple in his mouth causing the fireplace behind him to roar to life.

"Not this again" she murmured watching the fire grow over his shoulder and felt his chest rumble against her stomach.

Bonnie rubbed herself over the fabric harder and he broke the kiss, standing up with her still on him and dropping her and the thin fabric in one motion. He stepped backwards to fall onto the bed pulling her down with him and yanked her forward by the back of the thighs until she felt his warm mouth sheathed her. Bonnie squirmed and writhed as her heavy lids stared down into his dark gaze, leaning back on his raised thighs and knees as a sharp fluttering twisted inside her core.

Kai reached up to her shoulders and dragged his hands down; gripping above her elbows and bringing them slightly behind her back for leverage. He pulled her close and her back arched into him – the deep stroke of his tongue causing her body to shiver as a picture flew off the wall and smashed. Bonnie could hear her own heavy breathing as she swept her way down his chest to the waistband and his hands moved to her hips so she could pull them down. His persistent tongue didn't stop as she tried to pull off his sweatpants at a backwards angle and wrapped her hand around him.

Bonnie's fingers glided gently across his sensitive skin down to the base and a puff of black smoke shot out of the fireplace, her smirk evaporating under another expert roll of his tongue and gripped his base hard. Kai let out a low growl against her skin that had her vibrating inside and out struggling not to lose it on the spot. She tried to keep up a decent pace but Kai's refusal to break eye contact had her faltering more than once – something in the way he was looking at her setting her over the edge and rocking into him desperately as her orgasm came barreling down on her. Closing her eyes she started to fall backwards before he quickly flipped them and grunted when something hit his back.

"What was that?" she asked as she tried to look around him, rubbing his back gently to guesstimate the damage.

"Dresser drawer… I forgot" he huffed and let out a sharp exhale when she pressed her palm flat on the spot and muttered a quick healing spell against his cheek.

Kai's gratifying noise stirred a deep longing inside and her nails glided down over his ass, gripping down and propelling him against her. His hand caressed every inch of her torso as he mumbled a chant in Latin – the same one she now knew was the protection shield – and scooted in closer. Before she could take a breath he pulled her legs over his shoulders and started slowly into her. Her body clenched at the sudden and intense fullness; one of his hands flat against the bed as the other wrapped around her waist pulling her up into his every thrust. Bonnie held onto his neck for anchorage and grunted each time he hit a spot deep inside and slowly descended back out – the stimulation sizzling out of her fingers and toes the same moment the curtain rod snapped in half and came crashing down.

Kai lowered her back on the bed and massaged his way up her thigh and around her hip before gliding over the side of her neck, holding onto her jaw. He angled her so their eyes locked and her heart pounded wildly taking in his bold expression; defenseless and exposed – wide open for her to see. Her breathing came out in harsh pants as everything swayed slightly; somehow unable to look away as he leaned in leaving soft kisses against her lips. She kissed him back impassioned by this side he shows her so rarely and her chest ached as the bulb next to her head exploded.

Bonnie ducked out of habit and Kai lowered his head over hers, the lack of any pained noise letting them know the shield was successfully covering them. The room was illuminated by the moon shining through the open side doors and the fire ascending over the top of the fireplace – the large picture above it melting over the wooden mantle. He let go of her jaw and the bed, dropping her legs from his shoulders and once again pulled her up onto him; turning to lean against the headboard and tucking her feet behind her on his thighs.

"Do you trust me?" he grumbled lowly against her lips and her breath caught at the question.

"Mmm," she hummed, trying to think straight as his hands wandered across her back leaving electric shocks in its wake "with what?"

"In general?" he wondered out loud and his eyebrows lowered when she unintentionally leaned back pushing against his chest. Kai's nose flared and grip flexed against her hips pulling her down on him, her shoulders turning into him at the motion and fingers curling around his chain. He circled his hips and leaned forward trailing kisses and small bites across her throat, his breath coming out hot and shallow - her skin tingling under his touch. He moved his hands down her back and rested just above the curves of her butt, rolling into her. "With this?"

Bonnie felt a surge of power at the bluntness and impactful meaning behind the statement - her body shaking in response. Bonnie had never imagined getting this close to him let alone thinking the crazed hormonal things that runs through her head all day long. Kai had managed to make her want him physically and mentally and it was getting more difficult each and every day to grapple with.

Her sexual conquests over the years – or lack of – were never anything to brag about, and no one had ever made her feel the way Kai does; sexy and strong and a person of desire. The more she tried to deny their connection the more Kai seduced the truth out of her – one methodical move at a time until the words were spilling out of her. Bonnie had never felt so full of life or linked to another person intimately in her entire life and the knowledge of that sent a deep chill down her spine.

Unable to get the words out she closed her eyes and nodded in response, her forehead dropping to his and her lips searching. He kissed her softly and moved her gently against him before lowering his hand until the tip of his middle finger grazed in between her cheeks; her body jerking at the contact and the coffee mug on the side table cracking.

"No."

Bonnie tensed at the foreign touch and instinctively moved away but his grip on her waist restrained her.

"I have a better knowledge over your body than you do; I know what you can handle, what you secretly dream of – let me give it to you."

His tongue grazed his way up the side of her neck and ran his finger underneath where they were connected back up and putting slight pressure against her.

"Kai _I can't_ -"

"I'm an animal with you," he sighed against her ear "I can't control it. I want to mark you – possess you – make every inch of you ache for me. I know it's selfish but I don't care."

Hearing Kai's dark confessions was setting off a similar effect within her; deep down craving that overwhelming need to be taken over completely by another and doing the same to them. She wanted to lose herself in euphoria and forget about every thought that weighed her down. Wanted someone to feel whole with – and Kai was pushing her limits.

"I've - I've never –"Bonnie stuttered as his finger trailed back and forth lubricating and massaging her, brushing his lips against hers to calm her ragged breathing.

"Trust me… relax into me."

Bonnie tried to unclench her tightly wound limbs but they wouldn't listen to his silent command, her legs locking around him more firmly in a blended mix of fear and anticipation.

"Have you done this before?"

"No," he smiled and the small piece of information had her unwinding one body part at a time.

"Why now?"

"It's you," he shrugged and she envied his casualness and lack of overbearing emotions and feelings wrestling their way into her every thought.

She stared into his darkened blue eyes, almost dilated black and felt something deep in her core flutter and unknot; her body following its action and sighed into his mouth. He swallowed her moans and distracted her with gentle coaxes of his tongue that had her yielding to his touch and wrapped her hands around his neck into his hair. His finger rimmed her and she arched into his touch, a growl escaping him as she pushed back into him.

Bonnie felt his other arm snake around her back and pull her flush against him; the tense muscles in his stomach indicating he wasn't as calm or in control as he appeared. She locked her grip where his hairline began and lifted herself before lowering slowly; a deep spur igniting and a mist covering her skin. She moved at a steady pace and rubbed against him until he pressed forward on one of her thrusts back and the tip of his finger slipped inside. Bonnie let out a strangled noise that got stuck in her throat, her movements stilling and the weight of her body surrendering into his.

" _Are you okay?_ " he asked in a harsh breath as she sagged into him, the flat screen falling off the wall and smashing on the hardwood floor.

Bonnie jumped at the noise and moaned loudly against his ear feeling the shockingly intense awareness filling her from every angle. She looked into his concerned stare and nodded, her muscles tightening around him as she began to pump off of him. He ran his palm soothingly across her back staying still under her steady movements, his finger leisurely sliding almost all the way out before pushing in to the knuckle. She leaned forward pressing her breasts against his chest, her carnal side taking over as she pushed back into him and bit down where his neck and collar met. His deep rumble was laced with sexual desire and she felt the overpowering need to give it to him.

"How do you feel?" Bonnie heard reverberating from his throat.

" _So good_ ," she let out and his grasp tightened around her, turning his head and taking her mouth in a lust, wet kiss.

Their open mouths slid across each other growing more frantic as her arousal built and his finger quickened its pace. Kai was responding to every desperate sound spilling onto his lips, his hips starting to move underneath her as he guided her into his movements. Still connected he pushed the pillows away and leaned to the side landing on his back, one hand snaking up and crushing her to him as the other stayed firmly in place. Bonnie could feel him throbbing deep inside and clawed her nails down the sheets by his head, the inexplicable feeling coursing through and taking over.

Kai drove into her at a merciless pace and kissed her with equal compassion, her toes curling and core clenching down hard every time he lifted into her. His gravelly and raspy sounds never ceased to reach a part of her that nothing else could; her body quivering as she grinded into him shamelessly. His hand loosened from the back of her neck and held onto her hair as they fell into a fast pace rhythm – his finger hitting her deep on a hard thrust causing her to scream out as the orgasm rolled on and bright flashes blinded her. The candlelit chandelier that was at the foot of the bed came crashing down and Bonnie was surprised the entire room wasn't set ablaze from the intensity of pure bliss she was experiencing. Bonnie's limbs felt heavy and she waited for Kai to continue until he finished but he stopped, laughing and glancing over at the broken chandelier before rolling them to the middle of the bed where she landed on her back. He slid out of her and crawled beside her, leaning behind her to press his chest against her back.

"No more," she murmured tiredly pushing away his thigh.

"One more," he smiled against her neck and felt him hard as stone as he pushed down to graze her folds.

Even with her body vibrating from her recent undoing it still responded to his; arching into him and hearing a satisfied noise from the back of his throat. He crossed her arms over her chest as his left arm snaked under and held her against him grasping her shoulder, pushing into her slowly the same moment a soft sigh left her lips. Bonnie closed her eyes and turned towards his gusts of breath against her throat. He kissed his way across her jaw and his right hand trailed up her stomach clasping her hand, nuzzling his face on her skin and sending a warm flurry through her veins.

Kai stayed still as his hand trailed down below her bellybutton and guided her movements, circling her hips as the rest of her body moved helplessly against him. Bonnie's hand trailed from its confined position and laced her fingers around his knuckles; pressing into his hand as her hips quickened. He sucked and nibbled below her ear before sinking his teeth in and the double doors rattled furiously against the lock, her body shuddering from the shocks of pleasure racking her frame. Bonnie had never before experienced something so satisfying and hopelessly wanted to hold onto it with every fiber of her being.

" _I need you_ ," broke through her subconscious from the overload of her senses, his fingers squeezing hers.

"I'm here," she heard through a smile as he left soft kisses from shoulder to ear. " _I need you too, Bon_."

Bonnie was hit with a spark of her sex dream as a wave of déjà vu overcame her; hearing the exact same words echoing before waking up and later realizing that would be her last dream. Kai had mentioned before that the only way to stop a nightmare was so face it head on and either beat it or see what the hidden meaning behind it was – and Bonnie was just now seeing the true secrets buried deep in her mind trying in new and innovative ways to break free.

Kai lifted their interlocked hands and kissed her knuckles before reaching for the side of her jaw, turning her face and sealing his lips over hers. She heard herself whimper under his gentle persuasion and made no effort to move behind her, his hand caressing her jaw and chin before clasping the side of her neck again and deepening the kiss. Bonnie's upper body turned into him as her right hand reached around to grab a fist full of hair and the other held onto his bicep over her chest. His arm underneath her stretched to hold onto her left forearm and pulled her closer into him; the intimacy and compassionate looks and touches spurring a deep yearning inside.

Bonnie slowed to a stop and looked over his face as he closed his eyes and kissed her with determination – each roll of his tongue over hers causing her to flex vigorously around him making him grunt into her mouth. She held his hair tighter and breathed in deep taking a moment to appreciate this warm and sincere part of him that he tries to keep locked away; her best guess being because of all the pain and betrayal he's had to endure in his past that hardened his exterior. Bonnie was able to see many facets of Kai that she never would have believed based off their first altercation but this one beat the rest out by a landslide. Blue eyes opened to her already staring back and he smiled leaving small pecks against her lips and cheek before lifting her right leg over his forearm. Both of their noises became louder and more frantic the faster his thrusts turned and her leg started to shake in his grasp.

" _Harder,_ " she moaned knowing they were both on the brink and needed that extra push.

Bonnie felt his chest vibrate from laughter and dropped her leg pushing forward until she was lying flat on her stomach, leaning over as he thrust into her with force. Bonnie let out a sharp sound and Kai gripped the roots of her hair, pulling back slightly to give her an arch and deepen his descent. Everything around her started to fade out and their noises became muffled, her ears ringing as she raked her nails through the sheets.

" _This is not going to be the last time_ ," Kai huffed in a seductively low voice against her ear and she shuddered at the bite of command underneath.

Bonnie started to slam backwards off him sporadically and her pants came out in painful gusts as she tried to catch her breath; her lightheadedness making her dizzy and losing her control. Kai's deep rasps against her shoulder as he gripped her hair had her squeezing him so tight his body was convulsing above her as his arms wrapped around her and squeezed the last bit of air from her lungs.

It felt like something erupted out of her and took the room down with her – random objects from the dressers flying around and bouncing off the floor. She whispered Kai's name and he pumped into her once more before growling through his teeth in ecstasy; the glass doors swinging open and slamming against the wall. Kai's heavy breathing was huffing over her skin leaving tingles and goosebumps across her back. He left small marks in between her shoulder blades and she spun around in his embrace, leaning back in to calm her trembling. Bonnie reached up and pressed her palms flat on his chest for the same effect, her hands gliding down effortlessly from sweat.

"I'm serious this isn't over," he puffed out hoarsely and she couldn't help but smirk at his persistence.

"Hope you enjoyed it while it lasted," she said lazily and stretched, her breasts brushing up against him as he slid his hand down her body.

" _I'm not going to let you go._ "

A statement such as that from a former threat that had put her life in danger before should have been enough to send a sense of wariness up her spine but instead it warmed her insides; the remark sounding more like a promise than anything else. Her core clamped down painfully and her heart pounded through her ribcage; the statement setting off a deep yearning that she didn't expect nor know how to pacify. Her breathing came out faster as she tried to ease her fevered mind and wrapped her hand around his chain when a wave of dizziness overcame her.

"You know you don't want me to," he muttered going back in for a meaningful kiss and her chest twisted at the scary thought that he could be right.

-x—x—x—

Bonnie woke up to the feel of Kai's stiff morning wood – naked – tucked firmly between her ass. She felt his steady breathing against her back and eyes trailed down to his hand cupping her breast. _How casual_ she said internally, shaking her head and slowly untangling herself to turn around. Kai breathed in deep at the sudden movement and pulled her closer instinctively, her stomach pressing into his as she curled her legs around his cold feet. She grinned and reached down for the tangled blanket near her thigh and pulled it up to her shoulder, leaning into him closer and rubbing her feet gently over his. Bonnie took great pleasure in moments such as this – calm and innocent without Kai's overconfident looks and banter interfering. Everything else fades away when she runs her fingers across his jaw and he leans into her, or reaches for her when he senses her movement, or her absolute favorite; when he murmurs her name in his gravelly voice before he's fully conscious. Tiny fragments of Kai that Bonnie never would have gotten to see have now become the things she's most fond of and has developed a tight hold on her.

Running her hand down his neck she reached for his chain and examined the symbol. She heard Jo's voice telling him of the Dara Celtic knot and its meaning and qualities; a handful being wisdom, power, leadership, destiny – and the aspect that really hit home of it being a symbol of strength during challenging times. Teenage Kai had only an inkling of the hardships he would soon have to face; the fear of killing his twin sister in an ironic twist of fate becoming his main focus and priority for years to come.

Against everything Kai always had Jo to lean on and it seemed like the feeling was mutual. Bonnie had seen with her own eyes on more than one occasion him taking the brunt of his father's tactics and outrage, and struggled with his own internal battle of having to kill the one person that meant the most to him. Kai grew up in a world completely different from her own… from everybody's - including his own family from being seen as an outcast at such a young age. He was raised in a world where magic and sacrifices were a topic at Sunday dinner – if there even was a Sunday dinner – and never felt comfortable in his skin or that he had a place in his own home.

Bonnie couldn't imagine knowing about witchcraft during her teenage years; life was already difficult enough without adding on the supernatural stress and wondered how her life or character could have changed during that fundamental time. If she too was born into a world where human sacrifices and twin-merging were common discussions; would she be able to accept it and live a normal life like Jo or become secluded and spiteful like Kai? Bonnie placed the pendant back against his chest, pressing her palm to his skin and feeling his steady heartbeat underneath. She noticed his breathing wasn't heavy and glanced up to his clear blue eyes seeing straight through her.

"How long have you been awake?"

"A few."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"You looked pretty deep in thought, didn't want to interrupt."

His husky voice sent a flare up her spine, licking her lips in response.

"What were you thinking about?"

"Your necklace," she shrugged "You and Jo, being part of your coven-"

"You wanna be part of my coven?" he purred in a seductive undertone and pulled her in closer "I can think of a way or two to make that happen."

"Part of your coven _when you were younger,_ " she stressed and ran her hands up to rest on his neck "growing up in that lifestyle and all that."

He rolled his eyes closed lazily and shrugged once, a blasé answer to a very personal topic. Kai had a way of downplaying major moments that she knew had an impact on him while small things triggered him; like knowing about things he didn't tell you himself or getting confused during a conversation.

"I imagine it was somewhat different from your childhood; the spell books and magical items not quite up to par with your picture books and barbies. Although we did teach ourselves this one spell for a never-ending supply of desserts – that was pretty sweet." Bonnie's lips curved, content with hearing him go on about nothing but he gave her a once over and cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

"…what?"

"Why are you smiling at me?" She grinned wider at the sound of the deeper undertone he got when he was pensive and he ran his hand down her naked back. "Why is it so easy to get you to smile when it's unintentional? You're very confusing."

"It's not that hard to make me smile," she laughed.

" _Mm_ ," he grumbled as his hand roamed aimlessly down her back and thigh before trailing back up "so what were you smiling about?"

"I like your morning voice," she admitted "very gruff and raspy."

"I know another time my voice gets like that."

"Me too," she smirked and he laughed wholeheartedly against her chest.

Bonnie felt her grin split from ear to ear hearing Kai's light and open laugh and looked back at the same expression. He ran his hand up to cup the back of her head and pulled her into him; kissing him while half her face stayed sleepily in the pillow. His sleepy brushes against hers turned greedy as he leaned up to roll onto her.

"Oh no you don't," she groaned against his lips and pushed him backwards, tilting his head momentarily puzzled before shrugging and pulling her onto him instead. Pushing against his chest and trying to untangle herself from him she fell back beside him with a thud.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing… it's just – that's – Kai you already know this, last night was the last time."

Kai snorted and leaned for her as she scooted closer to the side of the bed.

"I thought we discussed how that was definitely _not_ going to be the last time. Did that only happen in my head? Anyways, sorry to tell you you've been heavily misinformed."

"See, what you're doing right now – it's normal. Most people would call it the first stage; denial. Anger comes next but feel free to skip over that one into bargaining."

"I can work with bargaining," he hummed and his fingertips were charged with electricity as he traced designs across her bare skin and pressed his lips against her ear " _I can be very persuasive._ "

"You are right about that," she murmured and closed her eyes as the goosebumps broke out across her body.

Bonnie's arm stayed outstretched against his chest but could feel the distance closing between them, the ache inside her coming to take her away when a jolt of awareness brought her back. She opened her eyes and sat up straight, looking at him on her right and running her hand across his back – a gesture that was starting to feel familiar. Kai leaned towards her more and landed on his stomach causing her nails to drag across his scar. Bonnie glanced back at his composed face before looking over his back more closely; breathing in deep to ease the intense feeling of despair seeing the large slash mark branded as a permanent part of him. She leaned into him and rested her chin on his shoulder, tracing his wound from shoulder blade to hipbone and felt him tense a fraction in response. He took a deep breath and sighed, seemingly frustrated that the mark still triggered something in him.

"Can you still feel it?"

"No."

"You told me that you didn't have any marks and Jo healed them."

"She did heal them," he mumbled into the pillow "that one was just a stubborn bastard."

Bonnie continued tracing the line diagonally and brushed her lips where her cheek rested, carrying on down the mark before she realized what she was doing. She heard a flurry from outside the open double doors with leaves rolling in, looking up from her leaning over position to lay on his back diagonally resting against his other shoulder.

"I could try and remove it," she suggested running her hand near his ribs.

"It's okay, makes me look _tough_ ," he said turning his head to her with a crinkled ' _tough guy_ ' expression. She tilted her head in agreement and he chuckled, bumping his forehead against hers. "Besides – now I have a shiny new memory to go with it."

Bonnie felt her cheeks flare and looked away, a heatwave coursing through her bloodstream at the mention of the intimate and unintentional gesture she just displayed. Being in a world where it is just the two of them for months on end has sparked something between them that never would have had the chance to ignite under other circumstances. Without thought or reason Kai had become someone she found comfort and security in - a person she cared about and felt things for so severely she hadn't experienced anything like it before – and the thought paralyzed her.

Bonnie's hold on his ribs strengthened until his hum of content snapped her out of her thoughts; her fingers tingling against his skin. Her eye-line moved to his clear baby blue's staring back at her and her chest panged so loud she was certain Kai felt it through his back. Pushing against his body she quickly retreated backwards sliding off the bed before he could grab her. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked around the room – equally as shocked as seeing the first bedroom destroyed from floor to ceiling.

"Imagine if this was Damon's room back home," she thought out loud.

"Oh I plan on christening that bedroom too," Kai said with confidence and her body tensed at the remark.

"Let me know how that goes," Bonnie threw out, looking at the door and sweeping her eyes across until it landed on the bathroom.

"I'm sure you'll know it in vivid detail," his gruff voice sounded closer as he moved his way to her side of the bed and she walked swiftly across the room to the open entrance to the bathroom.

"I'm going to take a shower," sprang to mind, the only place she could think of where there would be some small distance between them for a few minutes.

She spun on her heels and scurried towards the shower; turning it on and shifting on her feet as she glanced back in the room to Kai sitting up on the bed staring at her. Bonnie's heart rate picked up at the dark stare and stepped into the shower not caring if it was warm enough before she lifted her face to the shower-head. The one terrible thing about Damon's shower when there are other people present is the see-through glass that surrounds it; not becoming opaque until the steam fills up the area. The water turned warmer by the minute until she could see the steam starting to blur the glass when the door behind her opened and Kai stepped inside.

"Hey!" Bonnie yelped and stepped away from him "cut it out!"

"Like I was really just going to watch you shower from the next room," he laughed "come on, you kind of set yourself up on that one."

Kai took a step towards her and the water started pouring down his chest, his gaze darkening as the steam came down around him. She took another step back and her butt hit the tile next to the shower dial. He took another and the water poured down over his hair and face; the sensual stare mixed with the intoxicating view in front of her making her hands flex restlessly at her side. For the life of her Bonnie could not figure out if her body was trying to suppress the urge to escape this confined space or propel into him.

Another step and he was directly in front of her, lifting her hands over her head until she wrapped her fingers around the showerhead. Kai lifted her head up sternly by the side of her face and under her chin, leaning down to kiss her and biting her bottom lip when he pulled back. There was something different in the way he was kissing her; with more authority and demanding – making her view the situation and outcome the same way he does. He went in again biting down harder and her back arched off the wall into him.

"You said that last time was our last _night_ , but you didn't say anything about the daytime," Kai licked his way into her mouth and was met with an equally eager tongue.

"You'll find a loophole out of anything," Bonnie huffed against his lips and he pulled her until the hot water was hitting her back.

"It's a gift," he beamed and reached behind him for the body wash, the type lathering up like foam in his hands before pressing them against her shoulders.

Bonnie knew she was giving him a bewildered look, the lack of experience in this current scenario keeping her slightly on edge in contrast to his casual composure. She felt her tense muscles loosening over his tender touching and massaging and momentarily closed her eyes feeling the heat beating off her back as her front was taken care of in detail.

Her hands glided up Kai's forearms and she reached beside him, grabbing the bottle and taking a quick breath before losing her nerve and mimicking his action. Bonnie's nailed raked down Kai's abs with natural inclination, his muscles tightening under her touch and growing harder with each caress. Her mouth watered and breathing hitched in anticipation as her hand continued traveling down his stomach and slid easily up his shaft. Bonnie stared at the suds covering his body, feeling too vulnerable to look up and rocked into him with her hand firmly in place. Kai let out a harsh breath and pressed into her the same time he moved her sideways; her butt resting against the steam-covered glass with him hovering close.

Bonnie was about to grab his shoulders to wrap her legs around him when a different – more devious – idea came to mind. Lifting her head to shoot him a sneaky grin she pulled him down by the neck to seal her lips over his as she pumped him at a steady rhythm. Kai's gruff noises were even lower with the blended cocktail of just waking up as they echoed against their glass confinement. His rugged sounds progressed and set off a hunger inside her that she wanted so urgently to satisfy, her grip on him hard as she pulled slowly up the tip closer to his navel and he shuddered at the contact. His hand locked in her hair on the back of her head and grinded into her palm; his lips drifting from hers and biting his way across her jaw.

Bonnie could feel his tense muscles and deliberate movements and knew he was holding himself back, going with whatever pace she was comfortable with and felt her chest expand at the thought. His unworried and safe state of mind was triggering the same effect as her mind swam with thoughts of wanting to get lost in the moment – and more importantly make _him_ lose himself. Everything seemed to fade out as she set her focus on making him feel a fraction of what he has put her through; secretly wanting him to crave her in the same reckless way. Through every sexual encounter she feels like Kai has had the upper hand and wanted a tally in her column before they left this place. Before losing her nerve she kissed her way down his neck and chest, getting halfway down his abs before he yanked her back up and pressed her into the glass.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing," she feigned innocently.

"Don't do that," he retorted back through squinted eyes.

"Why not?" Bonnie asked genuinely confused.

"Because I can't – go easy on you right now," Kai said through gritted teeth as she continued to rub her palm against him.

"I don't want you to," she whispered back and he pressed her other hand against the glass beside her head, squeezing as sharp sparks shot out of his hand into her igniting her body as it coursed through her veins.

"Oh but you really need me to," he said amused – like he was in on a secret she didn't understand and leaned back down.

"I can handle you," Bonnie shot back stubbornly, his reaction spurring the opposite in her.

His eyebrows drew in at her momentary outburst before his eyes shined bright with his sincere smile, closing the distance and kissing her with purpose.

"I think you might be the only one that can," Kai muttered against her and loosened his grip on her hand trailing his back down her body.

Bonnie took a breath and gave herself a rapid pep talk before leaning against the glass and lowering until she was eye level with his waist. She leaned in close and looked up his body into his blacked-out gaze and felt a chill of awareness creep up her spine; the look of intent filling her with a dark need she knew he would be able to gratify. She looked back down at his long shaft and bit the inside of her cheek; not having much experience in this department from the handful of times she did this with Jeremy. Not to mention Kai seemed to be larger all around and that came with an intimidation all on its own.

Not quite sure of how she was going to take him, she started with the simpler route of gentle but persistent licks from his base up to the tip; Kai's body shaking over her as he stretched his hand out to rest on the glass. Bonnie continued her tender persuasion and the distressed sounds spilling out of his throat reinforced her speculation that the way to making him lose his mind was through softness and intimacy – not her first guess of rough savagery.

Bonnie glided her tongue up to the tip and surrounded him – the deep growl in his throat vibrating down his chest into her mouth triggering the same effect from her; the large hanging light behind him snapping and shattering off the tiled floor. He leaned forward resting his head against his forearm and reached down to lock her hand around the base.

"Don't let go." The direct order forced a moan from the back of her throat as he grabbed a fist full of hair and rocked into her. Bonnie's hand pumped him in small gestures as her tongue circled him and stayed in pace with Kai's movements; his thrusts becoming harder as his hand tightened almost painfully in her hair. One of his drives into her had her lose her grip on him and felt him go straight to the back of her throat; her eyes watering at the sudden lack of oxygen and Kai let out a dark sound laced with sexual intention. Bonnie's hands pressed flat on his upper thighs to push him back but raked her nails sensitively across his skin instead. Kai was letting out harsh pants as sheer desire took over; holding her head in place as he drove into her and she had to force her fist back into place to keep her from choking. Her other hand trailed underneath and cupped the sensitive skin causing Kai to jerk into her and lose his rhythm. "Bonnie – don't – I'll-"

The broken sentence over his heavy breathing both enticed and encouraged something in her that felt animalistic needing to be set free from its cage. Gripping the base harder she took him in as far as she could and stayed there, Kai's hand tightening against her hair as she heard a loud _crack_ come from behind her. She felt him try to step backwards and knew she had him exactly where she wanted; on the brink of insanity and surrounded by her. Bonnie steadiest herself and let go of his base, tickling his inner thighs making him thrust into her without any volition. He pumped into her a few more times, hitting the back of her throat and staying on the last hit as a guttural noise escaped him and he kept her head locked in place – the bathroom mirror behind her shattering as it came crashing down. Kai's hand loosened as she felt his body sag over her and she guided him out of her mouth, kissing and nibbling up his chest until she was standing with him towering over her. His hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her roughly into him; still rock hard like he didn't just experience a glass-shattering orgasm.

 _"_ _You're mine now,_ " he whispered lowly with his eyes locked on hers filled with intent, her throat closing and heart pounding at the boldness of the statement.

"Caveman," she puffed out, suddenly dizzy and felt his chest rumbling against hers.

"I'm not sharing," he laughed and she couldn't help but join in at the absurdity of it all.

Kai's hands continued to roam and caress her skin through the hot water and he lifted her with ease, wrapping her legs around his waist and pressing her into the glass. His hand glided under her thigh to rub her from underneath and his teeth flashed discovering how wet she was from watching him come undone. He lifted her slightly to adjust himself underneath her and slid in easily due to the water cascading against their chests. Bonnie didn't have a moment to adjust before he was pushed in to the hilt, staying there and kissing her deeply as her mind and body started to fill to the brim.

Bonnie grinded helplessly against him for friction and he slid out quickly before slamming back up, hearing another sharp _crack_ behind her back as another mark appeared on the shower wall. Kai chuckled in his chest and wrapped his arms around her waist and behind her back to cup her neck, continuing his movements hearing one sharp noise after another until Bonnie's legs were quivering around him. Kai's control was rapidly draining out of his body as pure unadulterated lust took its place, holding her tight as he relentlessly pounded into her until her loud groan of content coincided with the showerhead breaking off the wall.

"Damn it," Bonnie moaned through her orgasm as Kai rolled his hips carrying her through it.

Bending down to grab the shower-head he spun her around pressing his hands on hers to the glass. The hand holding the showerhead trailed down her body leaving hot steam in its path until he rested it against her thigh in direct aim of her clit and positioned himself behind her.

" _Too much_ ," she grumbled flexing her fingers against the glass and hearing them squeak under the steam.

"Good," he muttered grabbing more of the body wash and spreading it over her skin; her body responding as she grinded back against him.

The suds had her gliding over him effortlessly and it elicited something untamed in her, arching into him and reaching back for a fist full of hair. He spread her legs farther and eased in as both let out a sigh of content, the glass rattling around them. Her eyes trailed around the small confined space and felt the air being sucked out of the room leaving her gasping, his hand sliding up her body to her throat making the room spin.

The glass vibrated against her hands as he kept the water steaming against her and rocked her into his movements. Kai bent his knees on one thrust jerking her forward into his grasp around her neck and her vision got spotty and cloudy - her body shaking with the same ferocity against her palms. She could feel Kai's body tensing and surrounding her; his indication that he was close and her heartrate spiked in response.

Arching and forcing back into his drives he dropped the showerhead near their feet and replaced the steady pressure with his fingers, his pace more forceful and hold on her tightening until she couldn't breathe. Gasping in a breath she pushed against him and slammed her palm off the glass – the simple touch shattering the wall on impact.

Kai tugged her backwards and turned shielding her from the falling glass before pressing her against the opposite side. Her entire front half was flush against the invisible glass and his hands wrapped around her hips to pull her into his every thrust. Bonnie pushed against the glass for a bit of stability and his teeth grazed down her neck before clamping down on the tender spot above her collarbone – the touch of pain sending her over the edge. Kai reached around to slap her ass and she moaned against the glass, louder with a touch of excitement when he did it harder and her echoes drowned out everything around her.

Kai stepped back and roughly pushed her downward; riding out her orgasm as it blended into the next when he hit a spot too deep. Bonnie's incoherent pants with the new angle had Kai faltering and drove into her with such force she prayed he finished before her insatiable need ignited once more. She felt his grip around her head yanking it back towards him when she started to sag forward and the harsh movement surged a surprised yell out of her. Kai made a low guttural sound in the back of his throat and pulled her flush against him before pushing them both against the wall; groaning against her skin as he came undone for the second time.

The metal towel rod flew off the wall straight for them and left large cracks near her hand like a baseball had been thrown at it. Bonnie moved back into him to shield herself then smiled triumphantly, her eyes already closing from her heavy limbs and shocks of magic flooding throughout her system.

"You'll be the death of me," he said gruffly against her ear as his fingers continued over her body.

"Ironic," she laughed at the turn of events leading to the same conclusion and he joined in; small pecks across her neck and shoulder trying to sooth her raging heartbeat. "You know – you're really – you should suck at this, why don't you suck at this?"

"Why – from my lack of girlfriends and social skills?"

"No, because it's been many years since then and you should be unprepared and unexperienced and not so… detail oriented."

Kai chuckled at her explanation and she gritted her teeth at herself; turning in his locked embrace to face him.

"Is that your way of saying I'm good in bed?"

Bonnie could tell by his unabashed smile that he knew exactly how in tune her body was to his and the proof of broken items around the room was more than an obvious clue.

"Technically we're in a shower," she glanced away trying to shrug it off and his irritatingly dazzling smile somehow shined brighter.

"Just another reason why you aren't going to be able to get rid of me."

"My own personal nightmare," she sighed and he lowered his face.

"Your dark fantasy come true," Kai smiled before sealing his lips over hers.


	35. Chapter 35

Bonnie spent the next hour packing up what little things she had grown fond of while she was there and got all of the necessities for the protection and resurrection spells – neither needing anything more than candles and the chants themselves. Having to summon the power from dead witches before being able to enact the spell was a complicated step that she could fortunately skip over thanks to Kai absorbing the magic out of the land where the Salem witches were hanged.

They had agreed on the decision to wait until they were in the woods to begin; both for the added touch of magic that she could channel through nature and not giving his father any time to sense and stop their plan. She dressed in what would hopefully be her last 90s outfit – complete with faded jeans, a white crop top and jean jacket – and looked over her appearance in the mirror, mouth popping open when she reached her neck.

Pulling the jacket to the side she noticed a fresh red mark, already darkening into a bruise just above her collarbone. Her horror-struck eyes caught sight of another mark and turned her head to look below her ear; a small bruise that no one would mistake as a hickey glaring back at her.

"That's a nice look on you," she heard his deep undertone murmuring behind her.

"And what would that be?" she asked whipping around "the outfit, or the blatant hickeys that you intentionally made?"

"Both," he smirked and her eyes turned into slits gritting her teeth.

"What is the matter with you?" she asked accusingly.

"I didn't hear you complaining," he teased and smiled wider at her expression "I was in the moment."

"So you're saying you didn't do this on purpose, knowing we were going home and coming into contact with people – _my friends_?"

"You need any help with your stuff?" he asked casually and walked around her to the side of the bed. "You would think I would have a ton to bring back, being here for almost two decades and all but I never saw the point in growing a sentimental attachment to anything; then you never have to get upset when you lose it."

Bonnie tuned out his rambling as he ignored her question and rifled through her backpack, knowing she wouldn't find a drop of cover-up and huffed in frustration throwing it back on the bed.

"Something wrong?" he mused.

She looked down at her outfit and went back for the bag, examining the few 90s outfits that she wanted to bring into present day.

"You know, the weather's going to be much different than the calm spring days you're used to," she glanced at his cargo shorts and band t-shirt "you might want to put more clothes on."

"Hm, I'm not used to hearing that," he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows and broke into laughter at her disgruntled look. "I'm kidding – jeez – break that chip off your shoulder. I'll find us a couple heavy jackets and meet you in the living room in five, okay?"

Bonnie nodded and he was out of the room and down the hall, off to find winter coats in a mansion in the middle of May – should be pretty simple. She walked over to the closet looking through the other shirts she's gotten from stores over her time spent here and chose the sleeveless green heavy sweater material that covered her shoulders and collar completely, hugging close to her neck. She kept searching through the closet and her eyes landed on the accessories overhead, grabbing a scarf and thrusting it in victory over her head. Damon had ridiculed her during their daytrip over why she would need a scarf in 70 degree weather, but Bonnie knew his torment would only get worse if she argued that it was a _light_ scarf that is mainly used for fashion more than warmth.

Checking herself in the mirror as she wrapped the scarf with precision to cover her hickey, grabbed a sweatshirt and zipped it before throwing on the backpack and heading out the door. Kai was sitting on the armrest of the couch, tapping his feet rhythmically when she came into view.

"Hey!" he said with over exuberance and hopped up, picking up two heavy jackets behind him and holding them up for her to choose.

Bonnie smiled and reached for the one closest to her, tucking it over her arm to avoid heatstroke putting it on in this weather. Kai put on his backpack and walked past her, opening the door and motioning for her to lead the way. They weren't two minutes out before Bonnie's contradicting thoughts starting fighting their way in. Her justification to bring back the person she's spent the last few months with weighing against her chest physically over why he was trapped here to begin with. Not to mention the possible change or complications this will cause in her life - and with her friends. When they were in a world of their own it was easier to succumb to her urges that were dangerously trying to break free but back home she had a different life and people in it that took notice in how she spent her extra time.

"You okay?" she heard distantly.

"I'm fine," she said automatically, blinking out of her daydream over to him "why?"

"Just checking," he shrugged "since we're here."

Bonnie's eyebrows lowered as she took in the scenery, raising them in surprise wondering how the last fifteen minutes passed by her. She walked over to a rock near the entrance and rested her bag on it, taking out the Bennett Grimoire along with the candles and handing them off to him.

"This is really all we need?" he looked at his hands skeptically.

"Well usually we need to make contact with the other side to absorb their spiritual magic, but you already went ahead and took care of that. Now all we need is the spell; candles just give me an energy point to focus on."

They walked over to a clearing a few feet away and she placed the candles around him in a circle, standing outside of it and landing in front of him. He looked over her face with a soft expression; patient and calm as his eye-line dropped to her feet.

"Plenty of room for both of us."

"I'm not the one that needs protection," she pointed out.

"Everyone needs protection, especially from my father."

"I'll be fine," she smiled but he pulled her close and felt his hand wrap around her waist.

"Safety precaution," he muttered and she felt a wave of déjà vu hearing him saying it while his father possessed him, wondering if that was a line he had used on him before too.

She shook off the jitters and took a deep breath before beginning the chant.

 _Phasmatos Tribum Nas Ex Viras, Purgal Animum Sous Obscarus. Phasmatos Repallus Tantian, Maltuscanum Anium Par Vas._

One by one the candles illuminated around them and the wind picked up, the flames flickering to stay lit as she continued chanting. Bonnie kept her eyes closed and heard Kai's breath catch, tightening his grip on her momentarily and laughing out against the feeling.

"I think it's working," she heard in front of her and nodded in agreement feeling the rush through her system, expanding her chest breathing in an extra life force.

Bonnie continued the chant as the feeling inside grew, lifting her as the flames rose higher until a light flashed behind her eyes and the candles blew out. Kai hummed, rubbing her back as she looked up at him.

"That was exhilarating," he brushed against the side of her head and she snorted, pushing him away by the chest and backing out of the circle.

"I really don't think you need the other spell, this has a resurrection as part of it. It's kind of the whole point; protect you until the point of death then brings you back again. What if the other one messes up the balance?"

"I think it'll act as more of a plan B, not interfere with the original."

She shook her head at his stubbornness, reaching down for two more candles.

"So we're doing this?"

"Absolutely," he said unflinchingly.

"Then lay down right here," she kicked a spot where she had moved a candle out of the way "I have to place these around you."

Kai did as she asked and lay back relaxed with his hands behind his head as she placed the candles accordingly. She sat on her knees outside the circle beside his shoulder and leaned forward placing her hands on his chest.

"So this one probably isn't going to feel as great; it will slow your heart down to the point where it can skip a beat, and then it'll be over."

"Skipping heartbeats," he pondered "awesome."

"Last chance to get out of it..."

"Ah but we've come all this way," he smiled and closed his eyes.

Bonnie looked over him once more before pressing firmly against his chest; chanting the short spell.

 _En Dugas, Tuas, Animos_

She repeated the words slowly and steadily, the lights igniting at once and burning bright. His heartbeat slowed to the calming tone of her voice before it started to kick in; breathing out roughly trying to catch a breath as his hand came down over hers.

"It's almost done," she reassured and he rubbed her hand in response.

Bonnie continued chanting and felt his heart beat slower underneath her palm until he gasped and felt his heart skip a beat. She jumped slightly at the thud and he coughed out his next breath as the candles around him went out; leaning towards her before sitting up.

"Okay," he huffed "that one wasn't quite as satisfying."

"But it worked," she smacked him once on the chest as a job well done and stood helping him up with her.

"Ten minutes," he said glancing at his watch and walked over to grab his backpack, heading into the cave smiling.

Kai looked around the small space, staring up at the opening and stopping at a rock off to her left.

"Some great memories in here," he smirked and raked his eyes over her body.

Bonnie bit the inside of her cheek and walked past him to the circle of light, opening her bag and taking out the ascendant; staring down at it as her thoughts started to roll in and cloud her mind. She felt his fingers charge against her skin and shivered at the contact, blinking out of her thoughts as he leaned in close behind her and rested his cheek against her head.

"You still need more magic."

"Are you sure?" she questioned replaying through the moments he's willingly given it to her and fisted her hand feeling her fingertips sizzling "because I feel pretty good."

"I'm sure," he chuckled "the spell requires a decent amount of strength and energy – as you've witnessed firsthand. You've got enough juice to tear a room apart, but portal jump through time…"

Kai clucked his tongue and ran his hand down lower pressing his palm was flat against hers; the sense of knowing what's to come sending an unwanted thrill through her system as she fought the urge to lean into him. As if he could read her mind – or her body – he lifted their interlocked hands to her stomach and pulled her closer into him; clenching his fast as an electric current charged through his hand into hers and coursed through her veins.

Bonnie let out a gasp at the extraordinary sensation that has taken her by surprise each time and unintentionally pressed into him harder. His other hand snaked down her arm, shaking her hand free of the ascendant before locking his grip on hers and triggering the same effect. Bonnie saw a flash of a bright light and closed her eyes, her breathing coming out faster feeling wound up tight of energy sizzling through her bloodstream and becoming her own.

The overall effect made her feel invincible and in control; like she somehow held the power in this tug-of-war. Bonnie couldn't restrain her physical instincts, the feeling too potent as it masked the air around them; fueling her from within. She turned her heads towards his and grazed her teeth across his soft skin, his jaw clenching under her lips before he turned and sealed his lips over hers.

Bonnie felt her heart pang heavily when his tongue stroked against hers to deepen the kiss, her breath coming out in a small groan from the different angle. Kai loosened his grip on her hands and spun her so they were facing each other without breaking contact. He reached for her hands again and she inhaled sharply pressing into him when the magic started flowing through her fingers again. Kai wrapped their hands around her back – her arms trapped in his embrace – pulling her in close and continued his exploration of her mouth; already knowing little things she enjoys like nibbling and sliding his tongue over her bottom lip that sets her over the edge.

Bonnie squeezed his hands back but didn't feel any charge shooting back into his hands – still not sure how Kai can give magic when he's cursed with stealing it, or how Jo did it willingly during their childhood.

"How do you do that?" she murmured against his lips.

"Hm?"

"The magic," she huffed, turning her head to the side to take in a long breath "how can you give me your magic?"

"Concentration," he muttered, letting go of one of her hands and ghosting it up her body until she felt it on the side of her neck "on the task at hand, and the target of interest – which in this case would be you."

"And any witch can do it?"

"The perceptive and quick-witted ones, sure," he smiled and she could feel the tingling from his fingertips heightened against the sensitive spot on the side of her neck.

Kai squeezed her hand once more and laughed at her body's physical response.

"I can feel your pulse leap in your neck, I'd say you are ready for action," he said triumphantly.

Bonnie reached for his hand around her neck and checked the watch, seeing they only had four minutes to spare and bent down to grab the ascendant. She looked at their still interlocked hand now beside them and felt a sudden heaviness in her stomach. Shaking her hand free she fidgeted with the magical object between her palms.

"Kai I know I've already brought this up and I think we're on the same page about it… but I don't want anyone to know about what happened while we were here."

"And whatever do you mean?" he asked with mocked innocence.

"You _know,"_ she stressed, frustrated that she doesn't want to say the words and him making it more difficult on her.

"There have been many things that have happened here – I have been here for _quite a while now –_ I need specifics."

"Us," she let slip "and all that entails. I'll ease them in and let them know we aren't enemies or trying to kill each other anymore but that's the extent of it. As far as anyone else knows you're still the prisoner that murdered his family and terrified that you'll be let loose – and _I_ am the one breaking you out."

Kai tilted her head up with his thumb to bring her eyes to his and she smacked his hand away.

" _This is what I'm talking about._ There will be no more touching, or flirting, or objects flying all over the room. For this to work there can't be any indications of the temporary insanity that came over me while I was trapped here."

"Take the fun out of everything," he teased and leaned in closer invading whatever personal space she tried to create "that's fine if you don't want your friends to know; it can be our little secret."

Bonnie bit down on her tongue thinking of everything that will be placed under _their little secret_ and felt her magic spark in response; her body physically acting out against what her mind is conjuring up. Until this moment she hadn't let herself think about the fact that what's been going on while she was stuck in a prison world frozen in time, will inevitably be brought back with her into present day. She didn't want to let herself wonder how her friends would react if they ever knew what she had gotten herself into or how she could let herself think and feel a certain way about this person.

Although Bonnie has had over six months with Kai she's gotten to see a completely different side of the sociopath that is hell bent on revenge when he leaves this place. Unfortunately no one else – not even Damon – has had that luxury so while she was opening up and letting her guard down to him, her friends have been taking on a defense tactic of their own in preparation.

Bringing Kai back into her world was one thing that was difficult enough, but being the possible middle-man against the two opposing sides triggered a nauseous feeling inside her that had her visibly swaying from dizziness.

Kai reached for her arm to steady her movements, eyebrows down and questioning but she shook her head, looking at the ascendant and slicing her palm one final time spilling the blood over the top. She looked up into Kai's genuine smile and felt a small part of her stomach unknot.

Reaching for his wrist she started in on the chant to leave the prison world; getting a few lines in before Kai's face morphed into one of agony. Bonnie heard the wind overhead pick up as leaves blew in through the opening, the first wave of lightheadedness hitting her as she pushed through into the second verse.

Kai tightened his grip painfully around her wrist as he gasped in a breath of air; holding his chest and gritting his teeth as he growled out in frustration. Bonnie's eyes searched his, an unwavering sense of discomfort watching him in pain and couldn't do anything to help but continue with the spell as the ascendant ticked and whirred with power.

By the time she got to the third verse her throat felt like it was closing, forcing out the words in a choked sound fighting against the pain that was surrounding her. The pain felt different than the already waves of nausea and uneasiness she experiences every time she does this chant; sharp and dominating - intentionally weakening the body through suffocation so she couldn't physically get out the words. Kai was on the ground clutching his chest and her loss of balance was bringing Bonnie to her knees in front of him. Their sweaty palms glided from the position around their wrists until their hands locked; a dull charge hitting her fingers when they connected similar to the last time but not with enough force to break their hold.

"It's working!" she huffed through her spotty vision, feeling his body sag into the ground with shallow breaths. "Your dad was able to sever our connection last time, the protection spells fighting it."

Kai hummed and smiled, glancing up at her leaning over him with heavy lids. Bonnie gritted her teeth through the last of the chant; listening to the ascendant click its final gears into place and looked down at Kai's hazy expression under her vertigo-ridden state.

"I'm gonna be so mad if you kill me," he wheezed and she couldn't keep in her laughter at his sarcasm – even in his last breath.

"We're going home," she whispered back and heard the last click into place; her breath leaving her in a gust as she was blinded by a flash of light illuminating the caves walls - eclipsing the both of them.


End file.
